Student Dorm in Kyoto causes Taipei-Tokyo-Beijing Friction

The dispute between the real PRC and the virtual ROC on Taiwan continues, like some relic dinosaur living into the Age of Birds, to stir up trouble. In this case, it's time to make the diplomats in Tokyo reach for the Excedrin:

The dispute involves the ownership of the student dormitory, named Kokaryo, which Kyoto University established as an educational facility for Chinese students in a lease deal with a corporation in April 1945, four months before Japan's defeat in World War II.

The Chinese Nationalist government, which fled to Taiwan from the mainland in 1949, purchased the dormitory in 1952 from the Japanese owner.

Taiwan filed a suit with the Kyoto District Court against pro-Beijing students in 1967, seeking a court order to evict them from the dorm.

Japan severed ties with Taiwan and switched its diplomatic allegiance to the mainland in 1972 when the suit was still pending at the district court.

In the 1972 joint statement with China, Japan accepted China's stance that the government in Beijing is the sole legitimate government of China.

In 1977, the district court ruled in the pro-Beijing students' favor, declaring that ownership of the dormitory was transferred to the government in Beijing following Japan's recognition of Beijing as China's government.

The Osaka High Court later sent the case back to the district court, saying the Nationalist government continues to exist, even though its territorial control is limited.

In the retrial, both the district and high courts ruled in Taiwan's favor.

Bejing's quest to annex Taiwan extends even to such mundane items as dorms.

[Taiwan] [Japan] [China]