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Looking for a Friend: Sino-U.S. Relations and Ulysses S. Grant's Mediation in the Ryukyu/Liuqiu Dispute of 1879

Berry, Chad Michael
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397610312

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, East Asian Studies.
In March 1879, Japan announced the end of the Ryukyu (Liuqiu) Kingdom and the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture in its place. For the previous 250 years, Ryukyu had been a quasi-independent tribute-sending state to Japan and China. Following the arrival of Western imperialism to East Asia in the 19th century, Japan reacted to the changing international situation by adopting Western legal standards and clarifying its borders in frontier areas such as the Ryukyu Islands. China protested Japanese actions in Ryukyu, though Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) leaders were not willing to go to war over the islands. Instead, Qing leaders such as Li Hongzhang (1823-1901) and Prince Gong (1833-1898) sought to resolve the dispute through diplomatic means, including appeals to international law, rousing global public opinion against Japan, and, most significantly, requesting the mediation of the United States and former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885). Initially, China hoped Grant's mediation would lead to a restoration of the previous arrangement of Ryukyu being a dually subordinate kingdom to China and Japan. In later negotiations, China sought a three-way division of the islands among China, Japan, and Ryukyu. Japan was opposed to allowing the Ryukyus to revert to their previous status, but after Grant's involvement proved willing to negotiate a compromise. This thesis argues that Qing China, possessing few other viable diplomatic strategies, looked to the United States and Grant to mediate the Ryukyu dispute because key leaders such as Li Hongzhang and Prince Gong perceived the United States to be a less aggressive, more "friendly" Western power with whom China could possibly align in its effort to stave off the loss of its tributaries on the frontiers of the Qing Empire. In addition to answering why China looked to Grant and the United States as a potentially favorable mediator in the dispute, this thesis also looks at how China approached Grant in requesting assistance - namely, by emphasizing the dispute's legal and economic aspects. Though scholars often allude to the Qing's perception of the United States as a more friendly imperialist power in the 19th century, such statements are usually skimmed over with relatively little analysis as to why that was the case. In answering why China looked to the United States, the request for Grant's mediation in the Ryukyu dispute provides a window through which to view Chinese perceptions of the United States more fully. The United States, though enjoying the advantages of the unequal treaties, had not been an active aggressor against China in the Opium Wars (1839-1842, 1856-1860). Furthermore, the actions of several influential American individuals, including Anson Burlingame (1820-1870) and William Pethick (d. 1901), perhaps colored Qing leaders' perceptions regarding the possibility of the United States as a reliable diplomatic partner. Grant also had a positive reputation among Chinese leaders. This study also looks at U.S. perceptions of China and Japan. Some U.S. leaders thought aligning with China could procure significant advantages for future U.S. interests in East Asia. The official policy, however, was to maintain strict neutrality.
Christopher A. Reed, PhD (Advisor)
Robert McMahon, PhD (Committee Member)
Ying Zhang, PhD (Committee Member)
97 p.
Asian Studies; History; International Relations
China; Ryukyu; Liuqiu; Li Hongzhang; Ulysses S Grant; Japan; Sino-US Relations; Qing Dynasty; United States

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Citations

  • Berry, C. M. (2014). Looking for a Friend: Sino-U.S. Relations and Ulysses S. Grant's Mediation in the Ryukyu/Liuqiu Dispute of 1879 [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397610312

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Berry, Chad. Looking for a Friend: Sino-U.S. Relations and Ulysses S. Grant's Mediation in the Ryukyu/Liuqiu Dispute of 1879 . 2014. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397610312.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Berry, Chad. "Looking for a Friend: Sino-U.S. Relations and Ulysses S. Grant's Mediation in the Ryukyu/Liuqiu Dispute of 1879 ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397610312

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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