The predominance of pork (the only meat in the diet except for the occasional use of goat, and the basis of most soup stocks) and the frequency of stir-fried dishes attest strong Chinese influence… However, if the Chinese do take Taiwan in the coming years, Shikata agreed that attempts to capture Okinawa are possible by 2045.

For hundreds of years, China exerted most of the culinary influence, along with the traditional Chinese medicine practice of categorizing foods as cooling or warming foods.

From pages 39-40. China’s Okinawa claims touch a sore spot in Japan. Many Japanese media companies have discussed the controversy of the American military base in Okinawa. In Okinawa, frustration over U.S. military bases and renewed threats from abroad, mainly China’s growing influence in the region, can lead down a disorienting corridor of smoke and mirrors.

Things back in Okinawa have changed, too, since the days of its annexation, with Tokyo now trying to showcase Okinawan culture.

Since Japan has been allowed to maintain defense forces in recent years the necessity of American troops has come into question. Okinawan cuisine incorporates influences from Chinese cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine due to its long history of trade. Published on Jun 08, 2013.

Updated 4/21/14.

I want to address Michel's answer regarding Ryukyu as part of China, because there are so many false claims in his answer. But, as a result of recent developments, it is Japan rather than China that is feeling particularly uncomfortable.

Posted on April 20, 2014 by loochoo77. Orita backed up his predictions by citing sources he says have told him China has been "dumping money to influence Okinawa to turn its back on its country." When Japan annexed Okinawa in 1879, the Japanese culinary influence grew stronger. As a small kingdom, Okinawa prospered in the region, trading with Japan, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. As a result, you can see traces of Chinese and Japanese cultures from most of the Okinawa buildings. This is due mainly to the territorial spat over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islets. The 600-year old palace was the Ryukyu kings’ residence and administrative centre for several centuries before Okinawa became a Japanese prefecture in 1879. The following is an excerpt from Katrien Hendrickx’s The Origins of Banana-fibre Cloth in the Ryukyus, Japan, Leuven University Press, 2007. Religion and culture in Okinawa, however, should be understood in their own right, for Okinawan people have created their own unique tradition under given geographical and historical circumstances, arranging outside cultural influences such as those from China and Japan.

Japan’s claim to Okinawa disputed by influential Chinese commentators Protesters hold a model of Diaoyu islands (Senkaku islands in Japan) with Chinese … By Yo-jung Chen For Straits Times . An Amazing Collection of Okinawa Photos → Chinese Influence in Naha – Late 14th Century. The American influence on the island is undeniable. The Chinese influence is also evident in Shuri Castle, one of nine World Heritage sites on the island. As the winds of world trade blew through, Okinawan people ventured out and brought back many foreign influences. The best example of the foreign influenced structures is the Shuri castle. Talk of China's moves on Taiwan, however, isn't exactly new. "China wants Okinawa to be an independent country… an independent country does not need US forces on the island," he stressed. The sweet potato, introduced in Okinawa in 1605, became a staple food in Okinawa from then until the beginning of