China, as most people probably know, has several autonomous regions. These are regions that are populated with people of different ethnic origin than the Han Chinese. Some of these regions have been heavily populated by the Han Chinese, an attempt by the Chinese government to displace local ethnic groups. This practice had been taking place since ancient times. Such is the case with Inner Mongolia, which used to be predominantly populated with Mongols but today has a higher ratio of Han Chinese. Other regions, such as Tibet or the huge Xinjiang Autonomous Region (which is about the size of 1/4 of the rest of China) is heavily populated with distinct ethnic groups. In Tibet, the majority population is Tibetan and in Xinjiang it is Kazaks and Turks who are the majority. In all, China identifies five major autonomous regions, from Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Guangxi, Ningxia, to Tibet. However, there is a fifth region that the Chinese do not like to talk about. It is the Yanbian Autonomous Region which is located just across the border from North Korea and is about the size of half of South Korea or our state of Maine! It takes up about a third of the region called Manchuria!
Autonomous regions, by their very nature, consist of regions where a distinct native language is spoken and the general life style and customs differ from the mainstream official language and culture of the country. All schools in the region are bilingual and generally speaking, customs and lifestyle of the region adhere closer to their ethnic origin rather than the mainstream. Russia and the old Soviet Union had autonomous regions, although they didn't call them by that name. The Southwestern part of the United States that is heavily populated with Hispanics could have been called autonomous regions, however, they are not! The official language is English and although there are heavy influences of Hispanic culture in these regions, they are still a part of the United States culturally, and not only the language, but the lifestyle of its population is very much like the rest of the population in the U.S. Of course, there are families and neighborhoods that are heavily Hispanic, but still, the kids from these areas attend standard U.S. school systems where English is the official language. I suppose Indian reservations can be considered autonomous regions, since they do have their own government, etc. In China's autonomous regions, they do have certain amount of independence, but not quite as much as one might think.
The Yanbian Autonomous Region is heavily populated with ethnic Koreans. Although there are some Koreans who are recent escapees or immigrants from North Korea, the vast majority can trace their roots to at least the 19th Century, when a large influx of Koreans came to Manchuria. However, Koreans have lived in that region for centuries. The earliest known Korean kingdom, the Gochosun that was founded in 2333 BC, consisted of the entire Korean peninsula as well as the region that is called Manchuria. When Gochosun finally fell to a combination of Puyo and Koguryo kingdoms, Koguryo took over and established an empire that ruled the entire region for 700 years, from 37 BC until 688 AD, when it fell to the combined forces of Silla from the south and Tang Dynasty of China from the west.
The Korean population did not go anywhere, but it did mix with existing Manchu and Mongol tribes that lived in the area as well. Of course, the Chinese that came to the region also got into the mix. So, today's inhabitants of Manchuria, although identified as Chinese, would show Korean DNA if a DNA test was conducted with its population. Additionally, despite China's attempt through the ages to submerse Korean language and culture in the area, to make Manchuria more "Chinese,"it has not succeeded completely. Korean is still spoken widely and Korean culture (somewhat different from that of in South Korea!) survives. It is not all that difficult to understand when one realizes how the area had been populated with Koreans going back to Gochosun era, some 4,000 years ago!
There are currently about two million people residing in Manchuria who identify themselves as Koreans. There is an additional half a million or so scattered in various parts of China, but the largest "Korean" population is in Manchuria, in the region called the Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture. Now, there are many more Koreans in China that have taken up Chinese names, intermarried, and have taken on Chinese identity completely. Short of a DNA test, there is no way to find out if they are indeed of Korean descent. But of those who identify themselves as Koreans, speak Korean, and practice Korean culture, there are about two million in Manchuria.
As unlikely and strange as it may seem to us, the Chinese are apparently concerned (at least some members in their government) that should unification take place on the Korean peninsula, united Korea, after it recovers from the initial setback and economic hit, will regain and increase its strength and might make incursions into Manchuria, laying claim to those areas heavily populated with ethnic Koreans! Despite the presence of ethnic Koreans in Manchuria, the last time Korea legitimately had ownership of that land was under Koguryo Empire, some 1400 years ago! To us, laying claim to something that was owned 1400 years ago would seem completely ridiculous. After all, we took a good portion of Mexican territory (our entire Southwest and California!) some measly (by Chinese standards) 160 years ago after the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. It would be unthinkable to us that Mexico would demand the territory today! But the Chinese obviously have a different clock and calendar in their heads, and I don't mean the lunar calendar. They just seem to count time differently. While we may be concerned with months or possibly years, they seem to think in terms of centuries!
I have read various accounts of China's concern about ethnic Korean population and possible effect it may have on Chinese - Korean relations in the future. Most of these studies or articles did not even mention the issue of Korea's previous, ancient ownership of the territory and simply focussed on the population and not the land. However, a recent book published by a respected Chinese scholar revealed, at least in the author's views, this whole issue. The book was about the unification of the two Koreas and what possible effect it might have on the region. The author listed various reasons why China does not want unification to take place. Most of the reasons had to do with economic issues as well as fear that China would lose a "buffer" (North Korea) against possible U.S. military aggression in the region. But he added also that a united Korea, after recovery from initial economic set backs, would become even more powerful and might cause problems for China demanding its ancient territory that was part of Gochosun and Koguryo. That was a long, long, time ago! But it just goes to show, time seems to have a different meaning in China, or at least to some people in China!
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