"The Sino-Japanese dispute over the Ryukyu (Liu-ch'iu or Liuqiu) Islands is an important academic subject but has so far received little attention from scholars in the Western world. The present exhaustive study, by using a multi-archival and multi-lingual approach, uncovers for the first time the inner and full story of one of the most complicated and controversial diplomatic issues in modern East Asia. The dispute arose because both China and Japan laid claim to the Ryukyu Islands based on different grounds, leading to the prolonged crisis of half war and half peace between the two countries--a 'quasi-war'--from 1871 to 1881 and beyond, with profound global implications. Today, over a century later, the 'quasi-war' still continues as China and Japan once again engage in another island dispute, this time over the Senkaku (Tiaoyutai or Diaoyutai) Islands-- a related issue to the Ryukyu problem. Thus, the 'quasi-war' is still very much alive in East Asia even in the early 21st century"--Provided by publisher.