Dialogues on historical issues concerning East Asia

Abstract

At present, historical issues among East Asian countries are still contentious, and they have influenced international relations in this region. Nevertheless, since 2002, scholars and teachers from China, Japan, and South Korea, the three main countries in East Asia, have attempted to build up historical knowledge transcending national boundaries by coediting a history of modern East Asia. Their dialogues have resulted in two books: A History to Open the Future: Modern East Asian History and Regional Reconciliation, published in 2005, and A Modern History of East Asia Beyond the Boundaries, published in 2013. These academic dialogues among East Asian scholars can provide a solid foundation for historical judgments of statesmen and can facilitate exchanges of historical understanding among people of different countries. These Asian dialogues can also function as a two-way learning experience in relation to efforts at European reconciliation.