Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh—Recently Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has signaled that Tokyo may deploy military forces if China attacks Taiwan, a declaration that has reignited debate over Okinawa’s contested history and the unresolved sovereignty of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.
Historical Roots of the Ryukyu Question
The Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled Okinawa until Japan’s annexation in 1879, maintained its own institutions and signed treaties with the United States, France, and the Netherlands in the mid‑19th century. Legal scholars argue that under Henry Wheaton’s Elements of International Law, Ryukyu qualified as a sovereign state even while subordinated to both China and Japan.
China never formally recognized Japan’s annexation, and negotiations in the late 19th century left Ryukyu’s status “pending.” Activists today cite this unresolved sovereignty to challenge Japan’s claim over Okinawa and, by extension, the Diaoyu Islands.
International Law and Trusteeship
Post‑World War II arrangements further complicate the picture. The Cairo Conference envisioned joint U.S.–China administration of Ryukyu under trusteeship, but the islands were placed under U.S. control until the 1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement returned administrative authority to Japan. Critics argue this violated trusteeship principles and left sovereignty unsettled.
Geopolitical Flashpoints
Prime Minister Takaichi’s warning of military involvement in a Taiwan conflict places Okinawa at the center of East Asia’s security architecture. Hosting the majority of U.S. bases in Japan, Okinawa would be the frontline in any Taiwan contingency. Independence advocates argue this demonstrates Tokyo’s willingness to sacrifice Okinawa for national strategy, strengthening calls for autonomy or secession.Meanwhile, China leverages Ryukyu’s contested legal history to undermine Japan’s claim to the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, framing the dispute as unresolved statehood rather than bilateral territorial inheritance.
