The Spatio-temporal Evolution Of The Geopolitical Relations In The Ryukyu Islands And The Regional Influence

The Ryukyu Islands have special geopolitical relations with China. Ming Dynasty andQing Dynasty established vassal relations lasted for500years with the Ryukyu Kingdomexisted on the Ryukyu Islands in history. The Ryukyu Islands were annexed forcibly by Japanin modern times. The Ryukyu Islands were occupied by the US military under the trusteeshipsystem of United Nations after World War II and were “escheated” to Japan by US during theCold War. The Ryukyu Islands have important geostrategic significance. The so-called“convention of island-division” of Ryukyu Islands in history is closely related to the interestsof China. The Ryukyu Islands are not only an important part of the so-called “the first islandchain” aimed to restrain China, but also the geographical foundation of Japan to make issuesof the Diaoyu Islands and issues in East China Sea. Chinese scholars proposed claim ofreconsideration to the Ryukyu Islands problems in recent years. Strengthen basic research ofthe Ryukyu Islands from the geography which characterized with regional research is in linewith Chinese national interest. The accurate comprehend importance of strategic significanceto the Ryukyu Islands have important theoretical and practical significance for theexploitation of marine resources confronted inevitably in the economic and socialdevelopment process and the preservation of the marine interests to the Diaoyu Islands andEast China Sea to our country.The article delimits geographical units of Ryukyu Islands scientifically to the RyukyuIslands form natural geographical environment, geographic composition, spatialcharacteristics, the heritage and evolution of history and regional cultural of the RyukyuIslands. The article explains the specificity of geographical units, the similarity and differenceof China Mainland and Japanese Archipelago, reveals characteristics and mechanism ofgeographical relationship of the Ryukyu Islands by the interaction research of thegeographical relationship elements of major periods. On this basis, the article discussesquestions of territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests to the legal status andattribution closely related to geopolitical relations of the Ryukyu Islands, the sovereignty ofthe Diaoyu Islands of China, the delimitation of the East China Sea and the oil and gasdevelopment to China.The main contents of this thesis are as follows:The first chapter discusses and evaluates the background of the choosed topic,thesignificance of the research and the current research situation at home and abroad to the thesis.Through summarizing the research progress of the thesis at home and abroad,this part determines the objectives of the study,the contents of the study,the methods of the study andthe key scientific problems to be solved and establishes a framework for this thesis research.The second chapter systematical reviews and summarizes the related theory ofgeopolitical relations and the basic concepts in this pater involved and makes the necessarytheoretical preparations for the research of this thesisThe third chapter mainly studies the geographical environments and spatialcharacteristics of the Ryukyu Islands including the analysis of natural geographicalenvironment and the evaluation of natural conditions of the Ryukyu Islands,the administrativedivisions, industry type and the industrial structure, population structure and migration, theurbanization process of the Ryukyu Islands,the historical geography research of geographiccomposition of the Ryukyu Islands,the discrimination of geographic significance and politicalattributes related appellation of the Ryukyu Islands,the research overview of human origins ofthe Ryukyu Islands and the classification and distribution of dialect of the Ryukyu IslandsThe fourth chapter mainly studies the Spatio-temporal evolution process geopoliticalrelations of the Ryukyu Islands including the formation of the Ryukyu Kingdom and establishvassal relations between China and the Ryukyu Kingdom,the Japan's forcible annexation ofthe Ryukyu Islands in modern times,the American's military occupation of the RyukyuIslands after World War II and the historical process of the Ryukyu Islands "return" to Japanand the background of geopolitical relations of the Ryukyu Islands.The fifth chapter mainly studies the influence mechanism of the geopolitical factors andregional influence of the Ryukyu Islands including the analysis of the geopolitical relationsfactors composition and influence mechanism of the Ryukyu Islands,the geopolitical relationspattern change of the Ryukyu Islands and the research on the issue of sovereignty of theDiaoyu Islands, the geopolitical relations pattern change of the Ryukyu Islands and the theresearch on the issue of maritime rights and interests of the east China sea Etc.The sixth chapter summarizes main conclusions and research implications for the thesisand outlooks the prospects of the geopolitical relations research of the Ryukyu Islands.