Vietnam, Territoriality and the South China Sea: Paracel and Spratly Islands (Routledge Security in Asia Series)

The conflict in the South China Sea, especially the sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands, is of international interest and significance. Territorial claims from various countries impact on maritime freedom and result in the exploitation of natural resources in either international waters or other claimant countries’ exclusive economic zones. This book analyses Vietnam’s claim of sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands. Based on a book originally published in Vietnamese, the author offers a historical analysis to examine the sovereignty of the islands from multiple perspectives. Written in English on the topic and based on rigorous analysis of historical, legal and technical evidence, the book makes the case for Vietnam’s sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands. It also provides an investigation of how Vietnam has affirmed its claim of sovereignty over the islands and a discussion of how Vietnam’s claim has been received by the international community, particularly by China. The book touches on a very sensitive, topical issue of international importance with wide-ranging and serious consequences. It will be of interest to academics in the fields of Asian security studies and Southeast Asian history and politics. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of illustrations 8 Foreword 9 1 Introduction: defining the topic and summarizing the contents of the book 12 2 Historical data 18 2.1 Vietnamese official historical records 18 2.1.1 The period from the beginning of the XVII century to the beginning of the XIX century (The Era of the Lê Emperors, Trịnh Lords, Nguyễn Lords, Tây Sơn) 19 2.1.2 The period from 1802 to 1909 (Nguyễn Dynasty) 23 2.2 Western and Chinese documents 31 2.2.1 Pre-1909 Western documents 31 2.2.2 Pre-1909 Chinese documents 40 3 Legal data 46 3.1 Monographic materials 46 3.1.1 Red-marked royally reviewed records and Government documents 46 3.1.2 Codification books and laws of the royal court 60 3.2 Cartographic materials 65 3.2.1 Vietnamese gazetteers 65 3.2.2 Chinese maps 66 4 Scientific and technical data 70 4.1 Western maps of Paracel and Spratly Islands 70 4.2 Vietnamese marine hydrological measurements and topographic map drawings of Paracel and Spratly Islands 73 5 Vietnam’s continuous affirmation of sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands 80 5.1 Pre-1909 public administration by the Vietnamese Governments 80 5.1.1 Public administration (by the Nguyễn Dynasty) 80 5.1.2 Activities of the Paracel Islands and North Sea militias 82 5.1.3 Activities of the Nguyễn Dynasty’s Royal Navy 95 5.1.3.1 Activities of planting border markers and erecting sovereignty steles on the Paracel and Spratly Islands 95 5.1.3.2 Construction of temples, shrines, and planting trees in the Paracel and Spratly Islands 99 5.2 Post-1909 continuous affirmation of sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands by successive Governments of Vietnam 99 5.2.1 Period of French colonial administration 99 5.2.2 Period of temporary division of Vietnam 108 5.2.3 Period of reunified Vietnam 109 6 Vietnam’s sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands within the international community 112 6.1 The 1951 San Francisco Conference 112 6.2 Collateral issues 112 6.2.1 The East Sea 112 6.2.2 Difficulties with the People’s Republic of China 117 6.2.2.1 Before the reunification of Vietnam 117 6.2.2.2 After the reunification of Vietnam 119 6.2.3 Association of South East Asian Nations’ COC (Code of Conduct) and DOC (Declaration on Code of Conduct) 123 6.2.4 United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea and Vietnam’s Law of the Sea 125 6.3 Conclusion 125 Bibliography 127 List of Old Vietnamese and Chinese documents 142 Appendix 1: Chronology 144 Appendix 2: Texts 156 Appendix 3: The Law of the Sea of Vietnam 174 Index 194 "The conflict in the South China Sea, especially the sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands, is of international interest and significance. Territorial claims from various countries impact on maritime freedom and result in the exploitation of natural resources in either international waters or other claimant countries' exclusive economic zones. This book analyses Vietnam's claim of sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands. Based on a book originally published in Vietnamese, the author offers a historical analysis to examine the sovereignty of the islands from multiple perspectives. Motivated by the lack of up-to-date and scholarly studies in English on the topic and based on rigorous analysis of historical, legal and technical evidence, the book makes the case for Vietnam's sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands. It also provides an investigation of how Vietnam has affirmed its claim of sovereignty over the islands and a discussion of how Vietnam's claim has been received by the international community, particularly by China"-- Provided by publisher