University of the Ryukyus

The 62nd University of the Ryukyus 21st Century Forum

• Theme: The Relationship Between Japan and China and the Roll of Okinawa Through History
• Date: November 25, 2011 (Friday) 17:15~19:00
• Place: Ryukyu University Department of Law & Letters, New Building 2nd floor, room 215
• Presenter: Dr. Dayong Niu (Vice-President of Peking University, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, Professor of Peking University Department of History)

Summary

History shows that three countries, Japan, China, and the United States of America, were sometimes friendly nations and sometimes were hostile. At one time, both Japan and China were obliged to be behind during the wave of a worldwide industrial revolution. Although Japan woke up before others and became a strong country in East Asia through the Meiji Restoration, China, on the other hand, was very conservative and ultra-nationalistic, and it missed a good chance at modernization. Japan started along the path of expanding its sovereignty by arms. For that reason, China and America formed an alliance. During the Cold War era, however, China chose a different ideology, making itself an adversary of the Japan-America alliance. Ping-pong diplomacy helped relations between China and America start to return to normal. The relationship between the two was able to recover by using an “overhead diplomacy” over the American Government.

In the 21st century, under the threat of terrorism, Japan, China, and America should cooperate on security. At the same time, the three countries need to construct a more rational mutual relationship with wisdom that we have learned from the past.

As Okinawa has a unique history and culture, and its location makes it a keystone of the Pacific, it has a possibility to become an international hub where many cultures will blend. Okinawa will be able to hold an important position in the developing East-West relationship, not just the relationship between Japan, China, and America.

Profile of the Presenter

The presenter, Dr. Dayong Niu, is the vice-president of Peking University, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, and a professor in the Peking University Department of History. He is also the head of the history department of Peking University, a vice-president of the Peking Undergraduate School, chief of the International Higher Education Institution “21st University Federation” (abbreviated as U21), a visiting research fellow at the Harvard University-Yenchin Institute, and a visiting research fellow at Tokyo University Oriental Culture Institute. His major field is Modern Chinese History, especially postwar relations between China and big nations like America, England, and Japan. He has written and/or edited fourteen books, including A Cold War and Chinese Close Neighborhood Relations, and 90 theses.