Territorial Concept and Resistance Consciousness:Circular Daily's Perception of the 1874 Japanese Invasion of Taiwan
The commentaries of the Circular Daily made a distinction between Japan's punishment of the"raw barbarians"and its occupation of"barbarian land".This distinction emphasized that the"barbarian land"belonged to the Chinese territory,while the"raw barbarians"were peoples outside the realm of Chinese civilization.However,this discussion about the status of"raw barbarians"was ultimately an extension of the notion that Taiwan was a territory under the Chinese dynasty's jurisdiction.This territorial discourse was deeply entwined with the complex historical process of Taiwan's integration into the Chinese dynasty.Consequently,the Circular Daily advocated for relying on international law and the tributary system to compel Japan to withdraw from Taiwan.On one hand,it invoked the tributary system to justify Japan's withdrawal.On the other hand,it countered colonialist public opinion,which distorted the East Asian tributary system to encompass multiple centers,including China and Japan,and promoted the"Asian Union Theory"-a vision of China,Japan,and the Ryukyu Kingdom uniting to resist European and American capitalist powers'invasion of Asia.Through its cognitive interactions with Chinese and foreign newspapers in Chinese and Japanese ports regarding Japan's invasion of Taiwan,the commentaries revealed a strong sense of territorial consciousness and resistance to colonial aggression,blending traditional and modern nationalist elements.
Japanese invasion of TaiwanCircular Dailyterritorial conceptChina identitytribute system
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