From: yung@r-node.gts.org (Amos Yung)
Subject: Re: Japanese invasion
Organization: Public Access UNIX Information System
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 23:20:21 GMT

In article <6130091@hpopd.pwd.hp.com> yuk@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Yuk Lun Chan) writes:
>>soc.culture.hongkong / c60a-aa@volga.Berkeley.EDU (Ka-Chung Wong) / 10:20 am  Aug 17, 1992 /
>
>>I'd like to tell the very poorly-informed Mr. Perry that China is not always 
>>like the way it is. Since the beginning of human civilization China has
>>been the most sophisticated and civilized nation on earth.  Until several 
>>hundreds years ago, Japan was China's subordinate, culturally and politically.
>>You are assuming that, in invading China and other Asian countries, Japan was
>>merely doing what China would have done if given the chance.  The fact is 
>>that, China had the chance to colonize all the neighboring countries but did
>>not do so, for several thousands of years!  Moreover, Japan is only a hilly 
>>country with minimal natural resources.  Why would China want to invade her?
>>Please study some Chinese history before you speak about WWII and China.
>

I think your fact is wrong. Thoroughout history, China did invade many 
countries and, with the exception of Korea and Vietnam, none of them still exist
independently. As for the colonization part, one might consider Chinese's
occupation of Tibet as some form of colonization. I am somewhat surprised
to see that you seem to be implying China did not has her share of imperialism.
The fact is, for almost four thousand years, China considered herself to be 
*THE* race in this world. And she certainly acted on this assumption in
terms of foreign relation right till the very end.

>I am not agree on all of these. China did invaded the neighouring countries.
>Sometimes, massacre had happened.

Massacre is a terrible understatement. Genoncide against other race were
well documented in Chinese history. We just don't learn it in high school
text book, thats all. 

> The situration is very different to what
>we think nowaday. The centrial (local) area of China has been fixed since
>Ch'in which is just expaned into no man's land (yes, there were some people,
>but they were just watching the march of Ch'in army). After that, only
>Tang, Mongoilian and Chang were bigger.

Not exactly true. With the exception of the Mongolian period, there was only
two major expansion in Chinese territory. The first time was in early Han
dynasty (around 100BC) under the very famous Han Mou Tak, the second time
was in early Ching dynasty under Kwik Luk. Both time Chinese territory
expanded by almost 50%.  

> Most of the war between China and
>her neighours were sort of defending. The biggest wars was to the countries
>in the north who attacked northern China all the time. Others to south,
>east and west were trying to establish the big brother status among her
>neighours, which is not necessary. Time and again, we read that we
>sent in troops, capture their king and demanded they sent someone to
>see our empiror every year and then the war ended.

Not all the time. In many cases, the foreign nation were destroyed. e.g.
the nortern part of Korea, which was an independent nation during the Tang
dynasty, was invaded and eventually destroyed by the female emperor of
Tang's period. 



-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amos Yung          | Macintosh Jr.: The power to crush the other kid.
yung@r-node.gts.org| 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.hongkong