Vietnam, territoriality, and the South China Sea: Paracel and Spratly Islands

"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"--

Cover -- Half Title -- Series -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of illustrations -- Foreword -- 1 Introduction: defining the topic and summarizing the contents of the book -- 2 Historical data -- 2.1 Vietnamese official historical records -- 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) -- 2.1.2 The period from 1802 to 1909 (Nguyễn Dynasty) -- 2.2 Western and Chinese documents -- 2.2.1 Pre-1909 Western documents -- 2.2.2 Pre-1909 Chinese documents -- 3 Legal data -- 3.1 Monographic materials -- 3.1.1 Red-marked royally reviewed records and Government documents -- 3.1.2 Codification books and laws of the royal court -- 3.2 Cartographic materials -- 3.2.1 Vietnamese gazetteers -- 3.2.2 Chinese maps -- 4 Scientific and technical data -- 4.1 Western maps of Paracel and Spratly Islands -- 4.2 Vietnamese marine hydrological measurements and topographic map drawings of Paracel and Spratly Islands -- 5 Vietnam's continuous affirmation of sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands -- 5.1 Pre-1909 public administration by the Vietnamese Governments -- 5.1.1 Public administration (by the Nguyễn Dynasty) -- 5.1.2 Activities of the Paracel Islands and North Sea militias -- 5.1.3 Activities of the Nguyễn Dynasty's Royal Navy -- 5.1.3.1 Activities of planting border markers and erecting sovereignty steles on the Paracel and Spratly Islands -- 5.1.3.2 Construction of temples, shrines, and planting trees in the Paracel and Spratly Islands -- 5.2 Post-1909 continuous affirmation of sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands by successive Governments of Vietnam -- 5.2.1 Period of French colonial administration -- 5.2.2 Period of temporary division of Vietnam -- 5.2.3 Period of reunified Vietnam