“The Last Celestial Empire: Mao Zedong，Kim Il-sung and Sino-North Korean Relations” (Iwanami Press, 2016)

SHEN Zhihua (Professor of History, ECNU

When I learned that my work, The Last Celestial Empire: Mao Zedong，Kim Il-sung and Sino-North Korean Relations (2 Volume, translated by Zhu Jianrong, Iwanami Shoten, Sept., 2016), was awarded the “Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Special Prize” by the Japanese “The MASAYOSHI OHIRA Memorial Foundation”, I felt very honored! First of all, I admire the great contribution made by the former Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira to the development of Sino-Japanese relations during his lifetime. I agree with the purpose of your Memorial Financial Group to promote the cause of this prize, which spread “Pacific Rim Joint Concept” and the idea of the Asian regional integration. Second, this book was first published in Japanese, then was published in Korean, and then the Chinese version was published in Hong Kong. I would like to thank the Japanese readers and the Memorial Financial Group for their attention and evaluation to this book. This book used the multinational and multilateral archives of China, Russia and the United States etc., which have been excavated by the author, and has tracked the evolution of Sino-North Korea relations from the 1920s to the eve of China’s reform and opening up. The historical myth of Sino-DPRK relations ? the DPRK is a fraternal country with the PRC, it owns China’s fighting friendship with blood ? was dissected by this book, which provides a solid cognitive basis for breaking the long history of this myth in China at both levels of strategic decision-making and public opinion. At present, North Korea’s behavior and change is one of the most important international issues that China has to deal with. This book is a very timely publication, provides a “precursor” for China going out of the plight of the North Korean issue, mastering the right to speak on it. I felt happy for this work, but also felt great responsible at the same time. Now I have been in charge of the work of the Institute for Studies of China’s Neighboring Countries and Regions at East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. This awarded book is a medium, with which I have been able to deepen the exchange of old friends and meet many new friends in Japanese academia and even politics, meet more Japanese readers. I hope to further promote Sino-Japanese cooperation and communication in the further.

Profile
Shen Zhihua is a Lifetime Professor of Department of History at East China Normal University, the director of Institute for studies of China’s Neighboring Countries and Regions at ECNU. He was guest professor at Renmin University of China and Peking University, honorary researcher of the Institute of Chinese Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Senior Fellow of the Cold War International History Project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Professor Shen’s research interests include the Cold War, Soviet History, and, especially, the histories of Sino-Soviet relations and China-North Korea relations. His masterpieces include Mao Zedong, Sidalin yu Chaoxian Zhanzheng (Mao Zedong, Stalin and the Korean War) (Guangzhou: Guangdong Remin Chubanshe, 2003、2007、2013-revised & expanded edition), Wunai de Xuanze: Lengzhan yu Zhongsu Tongmeng de Minyun (The Cold War and The destiny of Sino-Soviet Alliance)(Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2013) and so on. He is also the editor-in-chief of several collections of archival documents, including Zhong Su Guanxi: Eluosi Jiemi Dang’an Xuanbian (Sino-Soviet relations: A Collection of Declassified Russia Archives) (12 volumes. Shanghai: Orient Publishing Center, 2015).