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Chôjô gathered other Ryukyuans who, like himself, had fled for China, including [[Rin Seiko|Rin Seikô]]<!--林世功--> and [[Sai Taitei]]<!--蔡大鼎--><ref>"Kōchi Chōjō." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41324-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo]. 1 March 2003. Accessed 17 September 2009.</ref>. Together, they submitted numerous petitions to the Qing officials asking for help on behalf of the kingdom. Though there was little, if any, positive response, for a long time, Chôjô and others refused to give up<ref name=jinmei/>.

Chôjô gathered other Ryukyuans who, like himself, had fled for China, including [[Rin Seiko|Rin Seikô]]<!--林世功--> and [[Sai Taitei]]<!--蔡大鼎--><ref>"Kōchi Chōjō." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41324-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo]. 1 March 2003. Accessed 17 September 2009.</ref>. Together, they submitted numerous petitions to the Qing officials asking for help on behalf of the kingdom. Though there was little, if any, positive response, for a long time, Chôjô and others refused to give up<ref name=jinmei/>.

Following Tokyo's unilateral abolition of the Kingdom of Ryûkyû and establishment of [[Okinawa prefecture]] in 1879, Chinese officials considered somehow restoring the kingdom with Kôchi Chôjô as the new monarch; [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], now in Tokyo, was inaccessible for this purpose. Recognizing Chôjô's influence and/or status, if not the possibility of this particular plan, Japanese officials in Tianjin demanded that Chôjô and his associates be turned over to them. Viceroy [[Li Honzhang]], the chief Chinese official handling the [[Taiwan Incident of 1871|Ryukyu dispute]], refused, and in fact ordered additional protection and financial assistance be given to Chôjô and his associates<ref>Kerr, George. Okinawa: The History of an Island People. Revised Edition. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p387.</ref>.

Following Tokyo's unilateral abolition of the Kingdom of Ryûkyû and establishment of [[Okinawa prefecture]] in 1879, Chinese officials considered somehow restoring the kingdom with Kôchi Chôjô as the new monarch; [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], now in Tokyo, was inaccessible for this purpose. Recognizing Chôjô's influence and/or status, if not the possibility of this particular plan, Japanese officials in Tianjin demanded that Chôjô and his associates be turned over to them. Viceroy [[Li Hongzhang]], the chief Chinese official handling the [[Taiwan Incident of 1871|Ryukyu dispute]], refused, and in fact ordered additional protection and financial assistance be given to Chôjô and his associates<ref>Kerr, George. Okinawa: The History of an Island People. Revised Edition. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p387.</ref>.

The idea of installing Kôchi Chôjô as king of Ryûkyû was formally suggested by the Chinese representatives in the official Sino-Japanese negotiations on the matter on 1880/8/15, but was ultimately rejected<ref>Kerr. p390.</ref>.

The idea of installing Kôchi Chôjô as king of Ryûkyû was formally suggested by the Chinese representatives in the official Sino-Japanese negotiations on the matter on 1880/8/15, but was ultimately rejected<ref>Kerr. p390.</ref>.