Jottings from the Granite Studio

Why can’t everybody stop fighting? Can’t we just all get along? Oh yeah, I forgot…because in East Asia, the study of history and the need to save political face while symbolically shifting ancient boundaries around to meet contemporary geo-political exigencies go together like a horse and carriage, PB&J, and Harry & Sally.

Digital Chosunilbo goes to the mat against the “Northeast Project” of CASS….again. Seriously, I study this stuff for a living and even I’m starting to get beyond the point where I care. It’s like one of those reality shows where two contestants just can’t stand each other and at first it’s a huge ratings boost until finally it just becomes inane and shrill and they both get voted off the island.

Anyway….according to Chosunilbo (and this is their translation, I haven’t seen a copy of the offending paper yet) a soon-to-be published report by the Northeast Project claims:

“Just like Koguryo, a group of people from the Buyeo tribe, an ethnic minority in an ancient Chinese borderland area, established Baekje,” the book says. “As its people were of the same lineage as the Koguryo people, Baekje was a provincial kingdom founded by a Chinese ethnic minority. Baekje maintained a closer vassal relationship with China than Koguryo because its kings were recognized by Chinese emperors. Before 660, the year when it fell, Baekje was ruled as a kind of autonomous region by the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.).” As for Shilla, the books argues, it “was established by exiles from the Chinese Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.). It also maintained a vassal relationship with China as an autonomous region.”

For the last time, say it with the chorus: “1400 years is a long time ago and using the wildly anachronistic term ‘Chinese ethnic minority’ is ludicrous. Also, to the Koreans: It was 1400 years ago, the PRC is not going to annex Pyongyang because the ‘Northeast Project said they could.’”