Paracel Islands Explained

Disputed:yes
Paracel Islands
Plural:yes
Pushpin Map:South China Sea
Location:South China Sea
Total Islands:Over 30
Major Islands:Woody, Rocky, Tree, Money, Robert, Pattle, Triton, Duncan, Lincoln, Drummond
Area Km2:7.75
Area Footnotes:(15,000 sq km ocean surface)
Coastline Km:518
Elevation M:14
Highest Mount:Rocky Island
Country: (de facto since 1974)
Country Admin Divisions Title:Province
Country Admin Divisions:Hainan
Country Admin Divisions 1:Sansha
Country Admin Divisions 2:Xisha District
Country2 Admin Divisions Title:Municipality
Country2 Admin Divisions:Kaohsiung
Country3 Admin Divisions Title:Municipality
Country3 Admin Divisions:Da Nang
Population:Over 1,000
Population As Of:2014
Additional Info:
Child:yes
T:西沙群島
S:西沙群岛
P:Xīshā Qúndǎo
W:Hsi-sha Ch'ün-tao
J:Sai1-saa1 Kwan4-dou2
Hain:Sa-so Kún-tō
Vie:Quần đảo Hoàng Sa
Order:st

The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands [1] and the Hoàng Sa Archipelago (Vietnamese: Quần đảo Hoàng Sa|lit=Yellow Sand Archipelago), are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea currently under de facto administration by the People's Republic of China.

The word paracel is of Portuguese origin, meaning placer (a submerged bank or reef), and appears on 16th-century Portuguese maps. The archipelago includes about 130 small coral islands and reefs, most grouped into the northeastern Amphitrite Group or the western Crescent Group. They are distributed over a maritime area of around 15000km2, with a land area of approximately 7.75km2. The archipelago is located about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Hainan Island, equidistant from the coastlines of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Vietnam, and approximately one-third of the way between central Vietnam and the northern Philippines.[2] A feature of the Paracel Islands is Dragon Hole, the second deepest blue hole (underwater sinkhole) in the world.[3] [4] [5] Sea turtles and seabirds are native to the islands, which have a hot and humid climate, abundant rainfall and may experience annual typhoons. The archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and a seabed containing potential, but still unexplored, oil and gas reserves.

Claims

The ownership of the islands remains hotly contested. The People's Republic of China (PRC) on mainland China, Vietnam, and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan all claim de jure sovereignty, although the PRC has had de facto control of the archipelago since the Battle of the Paracel Islands in January 1974. In July 2012, China (PRC) established Sansha, Hainan Province, as administering the area.[6] In February 2017, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative reported 20 outposts of the PRC built on reclaimed land in the Paracels, three of which contain small harbours capable of berthing naval and commercial ships.[7]

Geography

Amphitrite group

The Amphitrite group was named after the French frigate Amphitrite, which observed the islands while carrying a Jesuit mission to Canton in 1698–1700.[8] [9] [10]

Lying in the northeast of the Paracel Islands at 16.8833°N 129°W, the group consists of low, narrow islands with sand cays and enclosed shallow lagoons connected by reefs of rock. It is about 37km (23miles) northwest of Lincoln Island. The group approximately forms an ellipse with a north–south axis of 22km (14miles).

The northern section of the group comprises West Sand, Tree Island and the Qilian Yu sub-group (The "Seven Sisters": North Island, Middle Island, South Island, North Sand, Middle Sand, South Sand and two small "sands".) The center of the group consists of Woody Island and Rocky Island, approximately 5km (03miles) south of the southern tip of the eastern extremity of the northern section. The southwest corner of the group is occupied by the Iltis Bank.

The largest island of the Paracels, Woody Island (which has an area of 213ha), has over 1,000 residents[11] including fishermen and their families, military personnel and civilian administrators.[12]

Crescent group

Lying about 70km (40miles) southwest of the Amphitrite group, at 16.5°N 111.7°W, the Crescent group consists of islands and reefs that form a crescent-like structure from west to east, enclosing a deep central lagoon. The group measures 31by east-west and north–south. All of the islands in the group support vegetation except on their small cays.

The islands are named after former senior figures in the British East India Company (EIC). Three were members of the EIC's 'Select Committee' in Canton: James Drummond, Thomas Pattle and John William Roberts. Jonathan Duncan was Governor in Council of Bombay, and William Taylor Money was Superintendent of the Bombay Marine.

Money Island lies at the southwest extremity of the group, and has some small cays on the southern side. The Chinese name for Money Island, Jin Yin Dao, is simply the translation of the English name.
Antelope Reef, submerged at high tide and containing a central lagoon, lies 2.4km (01.5miles) east of Money Island.
Northeast of this are Robert Island (also named Round Island) and Pattle Island, separated from each other by a 3.5km (02.2miles) wide deep channel. A weather station was built on Pattle Island (by the French) in 1932, and a lighthouse and radio station in 1937.
Northeast of this is Quanfu Dao ("All Wealth Island").
Observation Bank, also named Silver Islet, and the Lesser Silver Islet, are the northernmost of the group and contain a small cay.
Just south of them are Yagong Dao (He Duck) and Xianshe Yu (Salty Hut).

At the eastern side of the group lies a 12km (07miles) long boomerang shaped reef with Stone Islet at its north end and Drummond Island at its south end. Near the centre of the reef is Dragon Hole the deepest known sinkhole in the world.[3] [4]

The Duncan Islands (16.45°N 154°W), consisting of Duncan Island and Palm Island, lie approximately 3km (02miles) west of Drummond Island and about 8km (05miles) east of Antelope Reef. Kuangzai Shazhou (Little Basket) lies about halfway between Palm Island and Antelope Reef.

Other features

Taking 16.6667°N 132°W as the center of the Paracel Islands, then the Amphitrite Group is ENE, and the Crescent Group is West.

Southeast

Eastern sub-group

Northeast

(ENE: Amphitrite group)

16.8833°N 129°W

Northwest

Inner southwest

Outer southwest

Central

List of entities

English nameChinese nameVietnamese nameCoordinatesArea
(ha)		Height
(m)[13] 		Location / notes
Amphitrite groupChinese: Xuande Qundao (Chinese: 宣德群島)Vietnamese: Nhóm An Vĩnh16.8833°N 129°W ENE
Woody IslandChinese: Yongxing Dao (Chinese: 永興島)Vietnamese: Đảo Phú Lâm210?Center of Amphitrite group
Rocky IslandChinese: Shidao (Chinese: 石島)Vietnamese: Đảo Đá814Connected to (NE of) Woody Is.
West SandChinese: Xisha Zhou (Chinese: 西沙洲)Vietnamese: Cồn Cát Tây40NW of Amphitrite group
Tree IslandChinese: Zhaoshudao (Chinese: 趙述島)Vietnamese: Đảo Cây220N of Amphitrite group
("Seven Sisters")Chinese: Qilian Yu Subgroup (Chinese: 七連嶼)NE of Amphitrite Group
North IslandChinese: Bei Dao (Chinese: 北島)Vietnamese: Đảo Bắc40N1 of Seven Islets
Middle IslandChinese: Zhong Dao (Chinese: 中島)Vietnamese: Đảo Trung130N2 of Seven Islets
South IslandChinese: Nan Dao (Chinese: 南島)Vietnamese: Đảo Nam170N3 of Seven Islets
North SandChinese: Bei Shazhou (Chinese: 北沙洲)Vietnamese: Cồn Cát Bắc20N4 of Seven Islets
Middle SandChinese: Zhong Shazhou (Chinese: 中沙洲)Vietnamese: Cồn Cát Trung50N5 of Seven Islets
South SandChinese: Nan Shazhou (Chinese: 南沙洲)Vietnamese: Cồn Cát Nam60N6 of Seven Islets
(New West Sand)Chinese: Xixin Shazhou (Chinese: 西新沙洲)-0.20N7a of Seven Islets (7W)
(New East Sand)Chinese: Dongxin Shazhou (Chinese: 东新沙洲)-0.40N7b of Seven Islets (7E); South of South Sand
Iltis BankChinese: Yin Shuo Tan (Chinese: 銀铄滩)Vietnamese: Bãi Bình Sơnalign=right-10SW of Woody Island
Crescent groupChinese: Yongle Qundao (Chinese: 永樂群島)Vietnamese: Nhóm Lưỡi Liềm
Money IslandChinese: Jinyin Dao (Chinese: 金銀島)Vietnamese: Đảo Quang Ảnh366W end of Crescent group
Antelope ReefChinese: Lingyang Jiao (Chinese: 羚羊礁)Vietnamese: Đá Hải Sâm0W Crescent Group, S of Robert Is.
Robert Island
(Round Island)		Chinese: Ganquan Dao (Chinese: 甘泉島)Vietnamese: Đảo Hữu Nhật308W of Crescent group; Has a well
Pattle IslandChinese: Shanhu Dao (Chinese: 珊瑚島)Vietnamese: Đảo Hoàng Sa319N of Robert Island Has a well
(East Shanhu Shoal)Chinese: Shanhu Dong'ansha (Chinese: 珊瑚东暗沙)Vietnamese: Bãi Đèn Pha16.5333°N 111.6283°W0E of Pattle Island
(All Wealth)Chinese: Quanfu Dao (Chinese: 全富島)Vietnamese: Đảo Ốc Hoa20NE of Pattle, SW of Observation Bank
Observation Bank
(Silver Islet)		Chinese: Yin Yu (Chinese: 銀嶼)Vietnamese: Bãi Xà Cừ10NE of Crescent group
(Lesser Silver Islet) Chinese: Yinyu Zi (Chinese: 銀嶼仔)Vietnamese: Bãi Tiểu Xà Cừ0.20SE of Silver Islet
(He Duck)Chinese: [[Yagong Dao]] (Chinese: 鴨公島)Vietnamese: Đảo Ba Ba10SW of Observation Bank
(Salty Hut)Chinese: Xianshe Yu (Chinese: 咸舍嶼)(Vietnamese: Đá Trà Tây?)0SW of Observation Bank, W of Stone Islet
(Stone Islet)Chinese: Shi Yu (Chinese: 石嶼)(Vietnamese: Đảo Lưỡi Liềm?)0.20E of Crescent group
Drummond IslandChinese: Jinqing Dao (Chinese: 晉卿島)Vietnamese: Đảo Duy Mộng213E of Crescent group
Duncan IslandChinese: Chenhang Dao (Chinese: 琛航島)Vietnamese: Đảo Quang Hòa48?S of Crescent group
Palm IslandChinese: Guangjin Dao (Chinese: 廣金島)Vietnamese: Đảo Quang Hòa Tây6?S of Crescent group
(Little Basket)Chinese: Kuangzai Shazhou (Chinese: 筐仔沙洲)Vietnamese: Đảo Sâm Cầm10SE of Antelope Reef
Eastern sub-group<--really an atoll without a proper name-->
Chinese: Binmei Tan (Chinese: 濱湄灘)Vietnamese: Bãi Châu Nhaialign=right-11Eastern sub-group
Chinese: Zhanhan Tan (Chinese: 湛涵灘)Vietnamese: Bãi Quảng Nghĩaalign=right-12Eastern sub-group
Chinese: Beibian Lang (Chinese: 北邊廊)Vietnamese: Bãi Thuỷ Tềalign=right-15Eastern sub-group
Chinese: Gaojian Shi (Chinese: 高尖石)Vietnamese: Hòn Tháp45Eastern sub-group
Chinese: Dong Dao (Chinese: 東島)Vietnamese: Đảo Linh Côn1605Eastern sub-group
"Water can be found on the island"
Other features
Chinese: Huaguang Jiao (Chinese: 華光礁)Vietnamese: Đá Lồialign=right-4Inner SW
Chinese: Panshi Yu (Chinese: 盤石嶼)Vietnamese: Đảo Bạch Quy400Inner SW, S of Discovery Reef
Chinese: Songtao Tan (Chinese: 嵩燾灘)Vietnamese: Bãi Ốc Tai Voialign=right-236ESE
Chinese: Langhua Jiao (Chinese: 浪花礁)Vietnamese: Đá Bông Bay0SE
Chinese: Yuzhuo Jiao (Chinese: 玉琢礁)Vietnamese: Đá Chim Én0Central
Chinese: Xidu Tan (Chinese: 西渡灘)Vietnamese: Bãi Gò Nổialign=right-23NE
North ReefChinese: Bei Jiao (Chinese: 北礁)Vietnamese: Đá Bắc0NW
Chinese: Zhongjian Dao (Chinese: 中建岛)Vietnamese: Đảo Tri Tôn1203Outer SW

Satellite images

Etymology

Hoàng Sa (Vietnam)

The Vietnamese call the islands Hoang Sa, (黃沙 or Yellow Sands), and this name is found in historic Vietnamese documents dating back to 1483, included "An Nam quốc họa đồ" which was published in 1490.[14] In the modern language system it is written as Hoàng Sa or Cát Vàng. They all have the same meaning — the Yellow Sands or the Yellow Sandbank. Before the early 19th century, the present-day Spratly Islands were treated as features of Hoàng Sa.[15] [16] It was not until the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng (1820–1841) that the Spratlys were distinctly delineated and officially named Vạn Lý Trường Sa (萬里長沙), the Ten-thousand League-long Sandbank.[17] [18]

Xisha and other Chinese names

The Chinese name Xisha (Chinese: 西沙), literally "western sands" or "shoals", is a name adopted in the 20th century to distinguish it from the "eastern sands" (Pratas; also Tungsha/Dongsha), the "southern sands" (the Nansha or Spratlys), and the "central sands" (the Zhongsha or Macclesfield Bank). Prior to that, there had been no consistent designation of these islands in early Chinese sources, with names such as Changsha, Shitang, Shichuang and others being used for Paracel and Spratly inconsistently.[19] In the 14th century Song Dynasty work Zhu fan zhi by Zhao Rugua, the names Qianli Changsha (Chinese: {{linktext|千|里|長|沙,   "Thousand mile-Long Sands") and Wanli Shichuang (Chinese: {{linktext|萬|里|石|床  "Ten-thousand mile-Rock Bed") were given, interpreted by some to refer to Paracel and Spratly respectively, but opinions differed.[20] The Yuan dynasty work Daoyi Zhilüe by Wang Dayuan considers that Shitang (石塘) to be the same as Wanli Shitang (Chinese: {{linktext|萬|里|石|塘,  "Ten-thousand mile-Rock Embankment"), which starts from Chaozhou and extends to Borneo, west to Côn Sơn Island off Vietnam and down as far as Java. The History of Yuan uses the terms Qizhouyang (七洲洋, "The Ocean of Seven Islands") and Wanli Shitang, which are taken to mean Paracel and Spratly respectively.[21] [22] In the Mao Kun map from the Zheng He's voyage of the early 15th century, groups of islands were named as Shitang (石塘), Wansheng Shitangyu (萬生石塘嶼), and Shixing Shitang (石星石塘), with Shitang (sometimes including Wansheng Shitangyu) being taken by some to mean Paracel.[23] [24] Another Ming text, Haiyu (On the Sea), uses Wanli Shitang to refer to Paracel and Wanli Changsha for Spratly.

During the Qing dynasty, a set of maps refer to Paracel as Qizhouyang (Shitang became Spratly, and Changsha became Zhongsha), while a book Hai Lu (Illustrations of the Sea) refers to Paracel as Changsha and Spratly as Shitang. A sea chart prepared in the Daoguang era, Yiban Lu (Particular Illustrations) by Zheng Guangzu, uses Xisha to refer to Paracel.[25] Xisha became the standard name used in China in the 20th century, and was used in 20th century maps published by the Republic of China, for example in 1935,[26] and the 1947 11-dash line map which claimed Paracel and Spratly as its territories.[27]

Pracel and Paracel

See main article: Placer (geography).

The name 'Paracel' is found in the first Portuguese maps of the region. The Portuguese, whose vessels frequented the South China Sea as early as at the beginning of the 16th century, were the first to refer to these islands as 'Ilhas do Pracel' in the 16th century.
Regarding the likely origin of the term Paracel, the word is a variant of the more common form pracel or parcel, from the Spanish; Castilian: placer,[28] which was used by the Portuguese and Spanish navigators to designate shallow sandy seas or submerged banks, such as Placer de los Roques.[29]

The Portuguese were later followed by the Dutch, the English, the Spanish, and the French in the waters of the island group. On the "Map of the coast of Tonquin and Cochinchina", made in 1747 by Pierre d'Hondt, the dangerous band of rugged rocks was labeled "Le Paracel", a French phonetic notation. Because of their location on an important seaborne route the Paracel Islands drew much attention from navigators and hydrographers in the Age of Exploration. Disputes in the area since the Second World War have again drawn attention to the islands.

On the "Map of Europe, Africa and Asia" published in 1598 by Cornelis Claesz, an unnamed band of rocks and sandbanks are shown near the present-day location of the Paracel and Spratly Islands. About two decades later, the names Pracel and Costa de Pracel (Coast of Pracel) appeared on the Chart of Asia and eight city maps published in 1617 by Willem Jansz Blaeu, a Dutch map maker. The coast belonged to the Kingdom of Cauchi China.[30] [31]

Due to confusion, the Spratly Islands at times were also referred to as the Paracels.[32]

East India Company

The islands were first scientifically surveyed by Daniel Ross of the British East India Company in 1808.[33] The names of Duncan, Drummond, Money, Pattle and Roberts islands were all chosen in honor of senior figures in the East India Company.

Infrastructure and natural resources

Infrastructure

China has historically had a presence in the islands and, as of 2016, was engaged in major infrastructure development to support its territorial claims over the archipelago, and as a result there has been, and continues to be, a lot of construction activity. In recent years Woody Island has acquired an upgraded airport, an upgraded sea port, and a city hall. There is a post office, hospital and a school on Woody Island.[34]

Fresh water

There is limited supply of fresh water on the islands. In 2012, it was reported that China (PRC) planned to build a solar-energy-powered desalination plant on the islands.[35] In 2016, it was reported that the first desalination plant was activated.[36] This reduces the occupant's reliance on water supply coming in barrels by boat.[37]

Electricity

Both wind and solar powered facilities exist, but most of the electricity is supplied by diesel generators.[38] This led to considerations by the Chinese government to use floating nuclear power plants.[39] It was reported in October 2020 that an experimental wave power generator was installed off Woody Island.

On land, in August 2020, Millennium Energy Viêtnam Co., Ltd, a member of Millennium Petroleum Corporation announced plans to develop a 600 ha, US$15 billion LNG project in the south Vân Phong area of the Khánh Hòa province, i.e. Nha Trang, near by Cam Ranh, with capacity of 9,600 MW, project which include a dock warehouse system, may be terminals, to provide gas to the power plant as well as distribute LNG in South-East Asia, supplied presumably by the offshore gas deposit along the coast of Quảng Nam province, discovered by ExxonMobil in October 2011, at 200 nautical miles (roughly 370 km), amid the area disputed by China (PRC), surrounded the ParacelIslands, in Chinese maritime border sovereignty claimed by Beijing (refer to "Battle of the Paracel Islands"). Trung Nam Group also announced in early April 2021, a wind power 900 ha complex US$174 million with capacity of 423 GW/h/year, directly connected to the country's grid through Tháp Chàm 220 kV transformer station.[40]

Communication

The Chinese postal zip code of the island is 572000, and the telephone area code is +86 (898). There is cellphone reception on the island.

Transport

There is an airport on Woody Island with a 2400m (7,900feet) long runway, which can handle take-offs and landings of Boeing-737s or planes of similar size. Flight services operate on the Haikou – Xisha route. There are three main roads on Woody Island as well as an 800m (2,600feet) long cement causeway that connects Woody Island and Rocky Island. Extensive port facilities have been constructed on Duncan Island.

Ecology and tourism

Paracel Islands' geographical and ecological traits are often likened as "China's Maldives", however, controversial conflicts between environment conservation and human activities including military operations, developments, and tourism on Paracel Islands have become public concerns in recent years.[41] Local ecosystem include endangered fish such as whale sharks, oceanic birds, marine mammals (at least historically) such as blue whales, fin whales, and Chinese white dolphins, and marine reptile species such as critically endangered green sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles, and Leatherback sea turtles;[42] however, direct damaging of the ecosystem by military group and tourists has been documented.[43] Governmental actions to cease illegal tourism are ongoing.[44]

The islands have been open for tourists since 1997.[45] Chinese tourists can take a 20-hour ferry to the Islands, paying up to US$2,000 for a 5-day cruise, and are placed on a long waitlist before being accepted.[46] The BBC article states that "Chinese tourism has strong political implications, as the Chinese tourists are being used as 'foot soldiers of China' by Beijing to further China's territorial claims there". The video also states "Vietnam is considered unlikely to send military vessels to stop them".

There are two museums on Woody Island; a Naval Museum and a Maritime Museum. In April 2012, the Vice-Mayor and officials from the Haikou Municipal Government made several announcements about developing new docking facilities and hotels within the Crescent Group - on Duncan and Drummond Islands specifically.[47] Promotion of the naturally unspoilt reef system was cited as the driver for new tourism potential with other such reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, now placed under threat of extinction due to human activities.[48] However, according to The China Post, this was denied by a PRC Government official in April 2012, due to sensitivities surrounding the islands.[49]

Territorial disputes and their historical background

See main article: Territorial disputes in the South China Sea. After the 1884–1885 Sino-French War, in an international context, France officially gained control of Annam and Tonkin as protectorates and fully established French colonial rule in Vietnam by signing a number of treaties with the Chinese and Vietnamese governments including Tientsin Accord, Treaty of Huế (1884) and Treaty of Tientsin (1885). Article 2 of the Treaty of Tientsin (1885) forced China to stop any claims to suzerainty all over Vietnam. Therefore, the French also took over the control of the Paracel Islands which were under the Nguyễn dynasty's administration, still nominally ruled Annam at the time.[50]

Between 1881 and 1883 the German navy surveyed the islands continuously for three months each year without seeking the permission of either France or China. No protest was issued by either government and the German government published the results of the survey in 1885. In 1909 the Chinese reacted to Japanese interest in exploiting guano by mapping the islands and Chinese Navy occupation. In 1932, France formally claimed the Paracel Islands and in 1933 the Spratly Islands. Initially there seems to have been confusion in China at the time as the Paracel Islands were not recognised as a separate geographical entity and formal protests did not immediatelly follow. China and Japan both protested. In 1933, France seized the Paracels and Spratlys, announced their annexation, formally included them in French Indochina, and built a couple of weather stations on them, but did not disturb the numerous Chinese fishermen it found there. In 1939 Japan took control of the Paracel Islands, and administered them via Hainan then under its control. In 1941, the Japanese Empire made the Paracel Islands part of Tawain, then under its rule.

The Paracels and Spratlys were handed over to the Republic of China's control after the 1945 surrender of Japan, since the Allied powers had assigned the Republic of China to accept the Japanese surrender in the area. At the end of the war (Asian-Pacific Region), the ROC formally retook the Paracels, Spratlys, and other islands in the South China Sea in October and November 1946. In the Geneva accord of 1954 Japan formally renounced all of its claims to, inter alia, the South China Sea islands that it had occupied during World War II.[51] After WW2 ended, the Republic of China was consistently the "most active claimant" of the islands. The ROC would go on to garrison Woody Island in the Paracels in 1946 and post Chinese flags and markers on it; France tried, but failed, to force ROC forces to leave Woody island. The aim of the ROC was to block the French claims.[52] In December 1947, the ROC drew up a map showing its eleven-dotted line U-shaped claim to the entire South China Sea, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands as Chinese territory.

After the communists gained control of China in 1949 after victory in the Chinese Civil War, they occupied Woody Island, the main island of the Amphitrite group and the only island that was still occupied by ROC forces at the time. Pattle Island in the Crescent group, on the other hand, was later taken by French Indochina and then would go on to be administered by South Vietnam following independence in 1956. Tensions over the islands have continued to rise unceasingly since then.[53] However, China has had de facto control of the island and the rest of the archipelago since the Battle of the Paracel Islands in January 1974.

UNCLOS EEZ

The Paracel islands are claimed by both China and Vietnam and the majority of those islands lie within 200 NM of both China's and Vietnam's geographic baselines under the Law of the Sea.[54]

Historical perspectives

In 1932 the colonial government of French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island in the Crescent Group. In 1909, China sent an expedition to the islands, for the first time formally claiming them.[55] [56] Imperial Japan established a military presence on the Paracel Islands during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese troops lived alongside French troops on Woody Island throughout much of that conflict. Japan, then at war with China, invaded the islands in 1939 on the pretext of their being a Chinese territory and placed them under the administration of Takao Prefecture in Japanese Taiwan in 1941.[57] After the end of the war, in 1946, the Republic of China sent naval expeditions to the South China Sea and established a garrison on Woody Island. In 1947, Chinese troops occupied Woody Island, while the weather station on Prattle Island continued to be operated by French Indochina and later Vietnam.[58] During the San Francisco Peace Conference of 1951, the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed. The USSR motioned for the Paracels and the Spratly to be awarded to China, but the motion was rejected by a vote of 46 to 3, with one abstention.[59] By 1955, South Vietnam had taken possession of the Crescent Group. In 1956, the PRC took control of and established a permanent presence on Woody Island, which (by then) was only seasonally inhabited by fishermen from Hainan. After the Battle of the Paracel Islands, in January 1974, the People's Republic of China expelled the South Vietnamese from the Crescent Group and took full control of the Paracels. South Vietnam's claim to the islands was inherited by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which has remained in-office since 1976.[60] Initially in 1976, the Communist Party of Vietnam tried to persuade Beijing to acknowledge Vietnam's sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, offering in return to recognize China's claim over the Paracel Islands. However, when this effort failed, Vietnam's government, now under CPV control, asserted its claim over both archipelagos.[61]

Vietnam

15th–17th centuries
1700–1799
1800–1899

China

618–1279

There are some Chinese cultural relics in the Paracel islands dating from the Tang and Song eras,[78] and there is some evidence of Chinese habitation on the islands during these periods, though the relics are more likely washed ashore from shipwrecked junks.[79] According to the Wujing Zongyao, a book published in the Northern Song dynasty in 1044, the Song government then included the Islands in the patrol areas of the Navy of the Court.[80]

1279–1368

In 1279, the Yuan dynasty emperor sent the high-level official and astronomer, Guo Shoujing, to the South China Sea to survey and measure the islands and the surrounding sea area. Guo's base of survey was claimed by China to be located in the Paracel Islands, although this is considered unlikely by many Chinese scholars. His activities were recorded in the Yuan Shi, or History of Yuan. According to the Yuan Shi, the South China Sea islands were within the boundary of the Yuan dynasty.[81] Maps published in the Yuan era invariably included the Changsha (the Paracels) and the Shitang (the Spratlys) within the domain of Yuan.

1368–1912

Relevant local annals and other historic materials of the Ming (1368–1644) and the Qing (1644–1912) dynasties continued to make reference to the South China Sea islands as China's territory. The Qiongzhou Prefecture (the highest administrative authority in Hainan), exercised jurisdiction over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

In the 19th century, Europeans found that Chinese fishermen from Hainan annually sojourned on the Paracel and Spratly Islands for part of the year.[82] For three months each year between 1881 and 1884, the German Imperial Navy sent two boats (the ship Freya and the warship Iltis) to study and map the Paracel Islands without either seeking the permission of or incurring protest by the Chinese government. This mission was finished without any problems and the German Admiralty published the results in 1885 in a document called "Die Paracel-Inseln" (The Paracel Islands).In 1909, Zhang Renjun, the Viceroy of Liangguang, ordered Guangdong Fleet Admiral Li Zhun (Chinese: 李準) to sail to the Paracel Islands. In June, with over 170 sailors in three warships named Fubo (Chinese: 伏波號), Guangjin (Chinese: 廣金號) and Shenhang (Chinese: 琛航號), he inspected 15 islands, erected stone tablets engraved with each island's name, raised China's flag and fired cannons to declare the islands "sacred territory of China",[83] which France did not protest.[84] In 1910, the Qing government decided to invite Chinese merchants to contract for the administration of the development affairs of the South China Sea islands, and demanded that officials shall provide protection and maintenance in order to highlight Chinese territory and protect its titles and interests.[85]

1912–1950s

After the fall of the Qing dynasty, the new Government of Guangdong Province decided to place the Paracel Islands under the jurisdiction of the Ya Xian County of Hainan Prefecture in 1911. The Southern Military Government in 1921 reaffirmed the 1911 decision. China continued to exercise authority over the South China Sea islands by such means as granting licenses or contracts to private Chinese merchants for the development and exploitation of guano and other resources on those islands and protesting against foreign nations' claims, occupations, and other activities. For example, in May 1928, the Guangdong provincial government sent a naval vessel, the Hai-jui (Chinese: 海瑞號), with an investigation team organized by the provincial government and Sun Yat-Sen University to investigate and survey the islets,[86] after which the investigation team produced a detailed Report of Surveys on the Paracel Islands.[87]

On July27, 1932, the Chinese Foreign Ministry instructed the Chinese Envoy to France to lodge a diplomatic protest to the French Foreign Ministry and to deny France's claims to the Paracel Islands. On November 30 of the same year, Zhu Zhaoshen, a high-level inspection official of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, issued public correspondence Number 66 to the French Consul in Guangzhou, reiterating that "it is absolutely beyond doubt that the Xisha [Paracel] Islands fall within the boundary of China". Despite repeated Chinese protests, French troops, who had colonized French Indochina in the 19th century, invaded and occupied the Paracel Islands on July 3, 1938. This took place shortly after the breakout of the Second Sino-Japanese War, when the armed forces of China and Japan were busy elsewhere. Three days later, on July 6, the Japanese Foreign Ministry also issued a declaration in protest of the French occupation [88]

During the Second World War, the Japanese expelled the French troops and took over the islands in spite of the 1938 declarations. The Spratlys and the Paracels were conquered by Japan in 1939. Japan administered the Spratlys via Taiwan's jurisdiction and the Paracels via Hainan's jurisdiction. The Paracels and Spratlys were handed over to Republic of China control after the 1945 surrender of Japan, since the Allied powers had assigned the Republic of China to receive Japanese surrenders in that area. At the end of the war (Asian-Pacific Region), Nationalist China formally retook the Paracels, Spratlys and other islands in the South China Sea in October and November 1946. In the Geneva accord of 1954 Japan formally renounced all of its claims to, inter alia, the South China Sea islands which it had occupied during the World War II.[89] After WW2 ended, the Republic of China was the "most active claimant". The Republic of China then garrisoned Woody Island in the Paracels in 1946 and posted Chinese flags and markers on it; France tried, but failed, to make them leave Woody island. The aim of the Republic of China was to block the French claims.[90] In December 1947, the Republic of China drew up a map showing its eleven-dotted line U-shaped claim to the entire South China Sea, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands as Chinese territory.

20th-century events

21st-century events and land reclamation

The Philippines and Vietnam promptly lodged diplomatic protests strongly opposing the establishment of the Sansha City under Chinese jurisdiction.[110] [111]

See main article: article and Haiyang Shiyou 981 standoff.

According to reports from Chinese state media, at the beginning of May 2014, Chinese and Vietnamese naval vessels collided near the islands as Hanoi sought to prevent a Chinese oil rig from setting up in the area.[113] On May 26, a Vietnamese fishing boat sank near the oil rig, after colliding with a Chinese vessel. As both sides imputed the blame to each other, Vietnam released a video footage in a week later, showing a Chinese vessel ramming into its ship before it sank; the Chinese said they were on the defensive while Vietnamese vessels were attacking the Chinese fishing boats.[114]

In popular culture

United States FIPS country code

The United States FIPS 10-4 country code for the Paracel Islands is PF.

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

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