| Order: | st |
| S: | 中华民族琉球特别自治区筹备委员会 |
| T: | 中華民族琉球特別自治區籌備委員會 |
| P: | Zhōnghuá Mínzú Liúqiú Tèbié Zìzhìqū Chóubèi Wěiyuánhuìn |
| Bpmf: | ㄓㄨㄥㄏㄨㄚˊㄇㄧㄣˊㄗㄨˊㄌㄧㄡˊㄑㄧㄡˊㄊㄜˋㄅㄧㄝˊㄗˋㄓˋㄑㄩㄔㄡˊㄨㄟˇㄏㄨㄟˋ |
| Kanji: | 中華民族琉球特別自治区準備委員会 |
| Kana: | ちゅうかみんぞくりゅうきゅうとくべつじちくじゅんびいいんかい |
The Preparatory Committee for the Ryukyu Special Autonomous Region of China is a political organization based in Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It claims that the Ryukyu people are one of the ethnic groups of the Chinese nation, supports Ryukyu independence, and asserts that the Okinawa Islands are Chinese territory.[1]
According to an interview with Hong Kong's television station Asia Television (ATV),, the representative of the Chinese Ryukyu Special Autonomous Region, claimed that "Ryukyu is the territory of the Chinese nation, and the opinions of the people living there are irrelevant." The committee is registered in Hong Kong and has its office in Shenzhen. This is due to the active exchange between "Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan".[2] [3] On July 31, 2016, Chinese media outlet Bowen Press reported that the Hong Kong-based civil organization "Chinese Ryukyu Special Autonomous Region" announced plans to file a lawsuit at an international court regarding the ownership of Okinawa.[4]
The committee pointed out that, according to the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Declaration after World War II, Japan's territory is limited to Hokkaido, Shikoku, Honshu, and Kyushu, and that the Ryukyu Islands, which should be returned to China, have been occupied for an extended period with the support of the United States.[5] Furthermore, based on the declarations mentioned above, Japan returned territories such as Manchuria, Taiwan, and the Pescadores Islands to China. In the surrender document, the Japanese government clearly accepted the declarations and pledged to fulfill their terms. However, the Ryukyu Islands, as stated in the proclamation, are not under Japan's sovereignty, and other smaller islands cannot be arbitrarily occupied without the agreement of the three signatory nations: China, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Zhao Dong, referring to the South China Sea Arbitration, argued that while Japan has called on China to respect the ruling of the arbitration tribunal, Japan itself has violated the Cairo and Potsdam Declaration for years and persistently occupied territory that should be returned to China under U.S. protection. He emphasized the need to take the issue to international courts to restore Chinese territory.[6]
Zhao Dong stated, "As a member of the Chinese nation, we have the right and duty to protect national sovereignty and are passionate about taking concrete action to reclaim Ryukyu." During the height of the Japan-China debate over the Okinawa issue, Zhao Dong, chairman of the Chinese Ryukyu Special Autonomous Region, said in an interview with a Central News Agency reporter, "The position of the Preparation Committee on the Ryukyu issue is clear. Ryukyu is a part of the Chinese nation".
On April 18, 2016, Zhao Dong claimed to have stepped in as an investor during the management crisis just before the collapse of Asia Television, stating that he had funding from his electronics business in Japan.[7]
The Preparatory Committee for the Ryukyu Special Autonomous Region of China has an affiliated corporation called the Ryukyu Group, which includes "Shenzhen Ryukyu Cultural Communication Co., Ltd.," "Shenzhen Shengsan Technology," "Shenzhen Kenwood Investment Co., Ltd.," and "Shenzhen The Story of Spring Cultural Communication Co., Ltd." The Ryukyu Group operates an online shopping site called "Ryukyu Mall," which features mobile phone cases on its homepage and includes a message stating, "The governments of Japan and the United States must strictly adhere to the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration".[8]
Zhao Dong has made contact with the Bamboo Union Taiwanese gang, as well as with Chang An-lo of the Chinese Unification Promotion Party, known for its radical political activities in Taiwan. According to an article in the Ryukyu Shimpo dated October 29, 2015, officials from the Chinese Unification Promotion Party visited Okinawa in mid-October to meet with members of the designated organized crime group, Kyokuryū-kai.[9] Furthermore, reports from the Liberty Times indicate that they are collaborating with gangs in Okinawa for their activities.[10]