From January 12 to 15, 2025, Secretary-General Xiong Jie of the Global South Academic Forum led a 12-member delegation on a four-day study tour and exchange in Okinawa. The delegation visited Naha, Miyako Island, and other locations, engaging in in-depth dialogue with Okinawan peace movement activists and conducting field investigations of U.S. military base facilities. This exchange marks an important extension of the Global South academic community building initiative and signifies deepened dialogue and cooperation between mainland China, Taiwan Province, and Ryukyuan peace forces on anti-war and anti-U.S. military base issues.
On the morning of the 15th, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki met with the delegation at the prefectural government office, including Global South Academic Forum Secretary-General Xiong Jie, Director of the International Department of Taiwan's Labor Party Zang Ruxing, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research Asia coordinators Tings Chak and Atul Chandra. Veteran Okinawan peace movement activists Aragaki Kunio, Gushiken Takamatsu, Yonaha Keiko, and Sakoda Hidefumi also participated in the meeting. Governor Tamaki first expressed his gratitude and welcome to the delegation, saying he hoped to learn about the full content of their study tour and listen to voices from China and the Global South. He also expressed his desire to maintain continuous dialogue, foster good neighborly relations, and promote peace together, ensuring that the tragedy of the Battle of Okinawa never happens again.
Image Captions: Secretary-General Xiong Jie Presents Forum Publications to Governor Tamaki
Global South Academic Forum Secretary-General Xiong Jie delivered remarks at the meeting. He first thanked the Governor for taking time from his busy schedule to meet the delegation and introduced the Forum's mission—to build an intellectual platform for scholars and people's movements from Global South countries to engage in equal exchange and jointly produce and disseminate knowledge. He also reviewed the historical origins of China-Ryukyu exchanges, noting that over the past two years, Okinawan representatives including Gushiken Takamatsu, Aragaki Kunio, Sakoda Hidefumi, and Shimizu Hayako attended the Global South Academic Forum conferences in Shanghai, introducing the Okinawan people's anti-war and anti-U.S. military base struggles to Chinese and Global South friends. This return visit aims to further deepen civil exchanges and friendship between Okinawa and China, and between Okinawa and the Global South.
Full Text of Secretary-General Xiong Jie's Remarks
Thank you, Governor, for meeting with us despite your busy schedule. The Global South Academic Forum's mission is to build an intellectual platform for scholars and people's movements from Global South countries to engage in equal exchange and jointly produce and disseminate knowledge.
Over the past two years, Mr. Gushiken, Mr. Aragaki, Mr. Sakoda, Ms. Shimizu, and others from Okinawa attended conferences we organized in Shanghai, introducing the Okinawan people's anti-war and anti-U.S. military base struggles to friends from China and the Global South. With this return visit, we hope to further deepen civil exchanges and friendship between Okinawa and China, and between Okinawa and the Global South.
More than seven hundred years ago, in 1317 CE, fishermen from Miyako Island encountered a typhoon and drifted to Wenzhou, China, where they were rescued by local fishermen. From then on, China and Ryukyu gradually established regular official and civil exchanges. Over the subsequent centuries, the mainstream of exchanges between the Chinese and Ryukyuan peoples has been peaceful and friendly.
The distance I flew from Shanghai to Naha is half the distance to my hometown of Chongqing. This truly made me feel the meaning of "separated only by a strip of water," and convinces me that the friendship between the Chinese and Okinawan peoples will endure forever, because we are neighbors who cannot be moved apart.
Recently, instigated by an extra-regional power, the Japanese Prime Minister made some inappropriate remarks that have created tensions in China-Japan relations and intensified the Okinawan people's concerns about war.
Regarding this situation, the Global South Academic Forum wishes to join with the Okinawan people in calling upon the Japanese government and Prime Minister to consider issues from the perspective of Japan's long-term national and people's interests, abandon Cold War mentality, cherish the hard-won peace between China and Japan, and refrain from harming their own citizens for the interests of an extra-regional power.
The Global South Academic Forum also wishes to continue strengthening exchanges with the Okinawan people and enhancing mutual understanding between Okinawa and mainland China, Taiwan Province, and friends throughout the Global South.
Eighty years ago, 85 civilians tragically died in the Chibichiri Cave, deceived by militarists.1 Today, we believe that through increased exchanges, we can prevent such tragedies from happening again.
The Global South Academic Forum wishes to work together with the Okinawan people for peace. Long live peace, and long live friendship among peace-loving peoples.
1 Editor's Note: After U.S. forces landed on the Ryukyu Islands on April 1, 1945, under the influence of prolonged military mobilization and ideological indoctrination by Japanese militarism, a mass suicide incident occurred among villagers in the Chibichiri Cave in Yomitan Village, resulting in the deaths of approximately 85 civilians (some sources say 83). The sickles used in the suicides and children's remains are still preserved in the cave today.