Chapter 3 conducts a detailed historical survey of who did what to whom in Northeast Asia since 1840. The focus is on China, Japan, and the West, and the discussion is organized around the explicit set of normative criteria set up in chapter 2. These are applied systematically to both the local and the global stories. The normative framework aims to be broadly acceptable to the peoples in NEA and consists of five criteria: ridding NEA of Western imperialism/hegemony; increasing the absolute and relative wealth and power of NEA states and societies; restoring respect for NEA nations and their rightful place in global international society; promoting respectful relationships with their neighbours on the basis of sovereign and racial equality; and promoting the broadly Confucian ideal of an orderly, peaceful, and harmonious domestic society. The conclusion is that when NEA’s history is seen through these lenses, there are no obvious heroes or villains. Instead, there is a complex and densely connected joint story in which both countries (and also the West and Korea) have deeply mixed records, making positive contributions in some ways and negative ones in others. NEA’s shared story in its dual encounter is much more important than the stories of the individual countries and the local relationships.
Korea’s ‘New Southern Policy’ Towards India: An Analysis