Modern and Contemporary History of the Three East Asian Countries

Author: Joint Writing Committee of "Modern History of East Asian Three Countries"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This book has the following prominent characteristics: , co-authored by scholars from China, Japan, and South Korea. The three countries of China, Japan, and South Korea are geographically adjacent and have had close historical ties. Moreover, since modern times, they have faced similar pressures from Western powers. What differs is that Japan, through the Meiji Restoration, joined the ranks of colonial powers and launched invasions against China and South Korea, plunging the three countries into a dark period in history. The joint writing of the modern history of the three countries by scholars with a sense of justice from these three nations is a first in China, Japan, and South Korea. This holds significant importance and a positive role in strengthening academic exchanges and connections among scholars from the three countries, disseminating accurate historical knowledge across the three nations, and fostering a shared historical perspective.
Second, the book is aimed at general readers in the three countries. Building on previous academic research, it provides a concise and fluent overview of the modern development of the three countries and the facts of Japan's invasion of China and South Korea, using history as a mirror to explore future development paths for the three nations.
Third, the book is both comprehensive and systematic without being cumbersome, while also paying attention to detailed and appropriate coverage, capturing key points. It grasps key historical facts, thoroughly exposing the distortions of history by right-wing Japanese textbooks, which conceal the facts of Japanese militarism's aggression. Using compelling evidence, the book provides a detailed account of Japan's brutal aggression against China and South Korea in modern history. At the same time, it does not get bogged down in certain so-called details, such as right-wing Japanese textbooks fabricating the July 7th Incident (Marco Polo Bridge Incident) to launch a full-scale invasion of China, emphasizing the so-called "gun" issue. After introducing the various aggressive actions of Japanese militarism before and after the July 7th Incident, the book firmly states that the incident was entirely a planned provocation by Japanese militarism. Whether the gun existed or not would not change the fact that Japanese militarism deliberately provoked the July 7th Incident and launched a full-scale invasion of China. Furthermore, the Japanese army's presence at the Marco Polo Bridge in China itself was an act of aggression against China.
Fourth, in terms of writing style and content arrangement, the book seeks to overcome the shortcomings of previous historical readers, such as dogmatic preaching, rigid formality, excessive seriousness, and a lack of liveliness that fails to engage readers. In terms of writing style, it requires both an academic foundation based on existing research while ensuring the text is accessible and engaging. Accompanying the narrative are relevant images, which not only provide visual materials but also spark readers' interest. In summary, the book aims to disseminate accurate historical knowledge to readers in a novel, lively, and vivid form.
"Modern History of East Asian Three Countries" takes China, Japan, and South Korea as its subjects, based on existing research, and is aimed at general readers. Using clear and fluent language, it strives to provide as comprehensive an introduction as possible to the modern journey of the three countries. The book offers a comprehensive, objective, and fair account of the history of the three nations, particularly the history of aggression and resistance between China, South Korea, and Japan.