Tang Chunfeng

Tang Chunfeng (; born 1953) is a Chinese diplomat and researcher affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. He also served as the Economic Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Japan from 1999 to 2002. He is recognized for his active support of the Ryukyu independence movement, advocating for the autonomy of the Ryukyu Islands, particularly Okinawa, from Japan, and has contributed to various public discussions on the historical and political relationship between the Ryukyu Islands and China.

Advocacy for Ryukyu independence Tang is known for his vocal support of the Ryukyu independence movement, particularly through his involvement with the "Chinese Ryukyu Network" , a Chinese website dedicated to promoting the movement. He has made various claims about the historical and cultural connections between the Ryukyu Islands and mainland China. These claims include assertions that the Ryukyu Islands were historically part of the "big family of the Chinese nation," and that 90% of Ryukyuans are descendants of 36 families from Kume, who migrated from Fujian, Zhejiang, and Taiwan. Tang also argues that the Ryukyu language and culture were closely tied to Chinese traditions until the influence of Japanese colonization.

In his book Grieving Ryukyu , published by the Chinese publishing house Dongfang Press, Tang asserts that a 2006 referendum among Ryukyu residents showed 75% support for Ryukyu independence. He also claims that the Ryukyu Independence Commission sought the removal of military bases, the establishment of a provisional government, and the eventual annexation of the Ryukyu Islands by China. Tang's research into historical records traces the relationship between the Ryukyu Islands and China back to the Qin and Han dynasties, emphasizing the role of the Ryukyu Kingdom as a vital trading hub during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tang further posits that Ryukyuans, despite adopting Western-style lifestyles, maintain a sense of identity as Chinese rather than Japanese. He also argued that the unresolved status of the Ryukyu Islands should be addressed in line with post-war agreements. According to Tang, after the Japanese military received the order to resist surrender in the face of the Potsdam Declaration, they engaged in mass killings of Ryukyuans. He compares this massacre to the Nanjing Massacre, asserting that the Japanese military killed over 260,000 Ryukyuans before the U.S. occupation. This account is also detailed in Grieving Ryukyu, where he describes the mass slaughter as a deliberate atrocity, similar in scale to other war crimes committed during the conflict.