A United Front of Smaller Asian Neighbors Disputing China’s Historical Expansionism

초록

The bilateral ties between Seoul and Tokyo keep floundering despite the much more significant mutual interests of the two nations. Correction of the distorted historical narratives made by China over ancient North Korea through academic cooperation serves Japan’s security interests. If the distrust of Japan erodes among Koreans following Tokyo’s gestures of goodwill and research support, the Korean public’s confidence in Japan will grow, especially regarding Japan’s constructive role in balancing against the rising China. Countered by robust resistance from both Korea and Japan, China would no longer be able to support its brazen distortion of history, especially in the face of scientific, objective and evidence-based counter-arguments jointly presented by Seoul and Tokyo. The ongoing wave of apparent academic misconduct from Beijing over such ancient Korean kingdoms as Goguyreo and Balhae, dubbed Northeast History Project, will soon recede and fade into history as a trivial episode involving a few ill-trained, disillusioned historians. Resolution of the Korea-China ancient history friction will bring about a chain of benign repercussions to other maritime disputes in the region as Beijing will be less inclined to borrow the flawed historical claims over island in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The three Asian powers will share in benefitting from the reconciliation as the harbingers of regional clashes gradually dissipate in the pessimistic eyes of international observers.

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