Why both Japanese and Korean nationalists lust after Manchuria Options

[EazyMoney]

Seems like Manchuria has nothing do with them at all.
It beats me


Anyway, just a shoutout.


peace

[Chan-Ho]

The basis of what both Eidolon and EAD are arguing about are both Semantical. Let's leave it at that.

I have never had any designs about Korea annexing Manchuria. Any objection I've had about Chinese control over Manchuria were due to China's North-East project and distortions of Korean history, which were obviously conducted to justify Chinese imperialism in the region both in the present and future. Thus, the real reason Korea should be concerned about Manchurian is not for its own territorial expansion, but China's pursuit of hegemony in the region.

At the end of the day, Koreans need to look at the cost/benefit of territorial annexation of Manchuria in the context of relations with China.

1. We must consider the current geopolitical reality.
- Manchuria is mostly populated with Han Chinese.
- Korea has enough on its hand with the current state of North Korea.

2. Territorial conquest is nearly impossible these days especially against a nuclear armed China.

3. Korea has an increasingly greater economic and cultural relationship with China in which benefits greatly outwiegh the costs, at least in the short term.

4. China is a communist government that does not allow for referendums on regional autonomy.

Also, we must consider the fact that there are much more profitable avenues that Korea can project its power, including economic and cultural. Thus, it is strategic, and possibly inevitable, for Korea to pursue further integrated economic and cultural relationships with China. The only problem lies within imperialistic interests of the Chinese government. China, on the other hand, has the ability to project its political power in the North-East region and given the rhetoric of Chinese nationalists on the forum and the policies of what is communist regime in China, we can see that it is Korea that should be concerned about Chinese intentions in the long-term. In actuality, it is Chinese provacations against the Korean people including distortion of our history and support of the North Korean regime that demonstrates the China is the true threat to peace and stability in the region. Thus, political containment of China through alliances while pursuing further economic and cultural integration with China is probably the best strategy of Korea, at least in the short to medium term. Considering the cost/benefit of the situation, it is pretty clear that Koreans should have no intentions on the territory when there are better opportunities and benefits for the Korean people through other channels.

This post has been edited by Chan-Ho: Jun 11 2009, 07:07 PM