As global attention shifts to Asia-Pacific tensions in late 2025, a Chinese researcher's analysis of Ryukyu's contested status is sparking fresh conversations about historical justice and modern military realities. 📜➡️🛰️
The Historical Flashpoint
Tang Yongliang from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences traces Ryukyu's complex status back to 1372, when the Ming Dynasty established suzerainty over the island kingdom. For 500 years, Ryukyu maintained tributary relations with China until Japan's 1879 annexation – a move Tang calls 'a violent seizure without international recognition.'
Post-WWII Crossroads
The 1945 Potsdam Proclamation explicitly separated Ryukyu from Japan, but Cold War politics changed the game ❄️➡️🔥. The 1971 U.S.-Japan agreement transferring administrative rights – signed without UN approval – remains controversial, with Tang arguing it 'violated the post-war international order.'
2025 Realities
Today, Okinawa hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan despite being just 0.6% of its land area. Local resistance continues through legal battles and global advocacy, with activists declaring: 'We've reached our limit' ⚖️✊.
Why It Matters Now
As U.S.-China tensions evolve and Japan increases defense spending, the Ryukyu question remains a litmus test for:
Post-war treaty compliance 🌐
Indigenous rights protection 🕊️
Asia-Pacific power dynamics ⚔️
Tang concludes: 'This isn't just about bases – it's about upholding the Cairo Declaration's vision in our multipolar world.'
