1 Introduction 1
Geopolitical contexts 2
Chinese seapower:historical-geographic contexts 6
2 A Chinese lake 9
Beginnings 10
Sung China and the Southern Sea 13
The Bank of Long Sands 15
The Sea of Seven Islands 17
The Cheng Ho voyages 20
Conclusion:a Chinese lake 22
3 The open sea 31
Early Ch'ing maritime interests 32
Geographic reconnaissance during the Ch'ing 34
The Ch'ing navy:institutional and technological constraints 40
Competition for the South China Sea:Annam and the French 42
Empire lost:the Sino-French war 1884—5 45
Conclusion:the open sea 46
4 A question of sovereignty 51
The first Chinese claims 52
The Ho Jui-nien affair 55
The 1928 commission 57
The Délégation des Paracels 60
Japan's New South Archipelago(Shinnan Gunto) 63
Conclusion:a question of sovereignty 66
5 The post-war contest 75
The ROC in the Paracels and Spratlys 75
The San Francisco Peace Treaty(1951) 77
The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty(1952) 79
The Cloma incident 81
The islands and China's territorial sea 86
Enter the Philippines 89
The petroleum incentive 91
Conclusion:the post-war contest 92
6 Battle for the Paracels 98
Prelude to war 98
Battle in the Paracels 100
The competitors react 101
Aftermath 107
Conclusion:battle for the Paracels 110
7 China's ocean policy 118
Chinese foreign policy 118
China and the law of the sea 120
Straits and the issue of accessibility 122
The archipelagic regime 125
The Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ) 127
Marine research 129
Conclusion:China's ocean policy 130
8 The southern maritime frontier 137
A vital strategic zone 139
Chinese seapower 142
The southern flank 148
Conclusion:the southern maritime frontier 150
Appendices 154
A The scramble for offshore oil 154
B The Kingdom of Humanity and Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads 168
C Select bibliography 173
D Abbreviations 178
E Guide to place names 180
F A basic gazetteer 183
G Maps 195
Index 200