In September 2019, the Chongqing Hometown Association in Taipei donated a batch of cultural and historical materials and photos to the Chongqing Hongyan Revolutionary History Museum. In the spirit of "one family on both sides of the strait" and jointly protecting and inheriting Chinese culture, the author found that among the donation materials in this batch of donation materials was Zheng Ziyue's 1947 book "Geographical Outline of the South China Sea Islands". On July 12, 2016, the "Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China on Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests in the South China Sea" issued by the Chinese government mentioned this book, saying that it "provides a legal basis for China to safeguard maritime territorial sovereignty". Who is Zheng Ziyue? How was the Geographical Outline of the South China Sea Islands written? Why is it so important?
Deep family learning Two generations of celebrities
In 1907, Zheng Ziyue was born in Huai Village, Zhengjiahe, Hengshui County, Hebei Province (another says that Zheng Ziyue was born in 1901), and his father, Zheng Jitang, was an international student sent by officials at the end of the Qing Dynasty. In 1908, Zheng Jitang was appointed by the Qing government to study in Japan. In 1911, after returning to China, he was appointed as a lecturer in education at the Jingshi Excellent Normal School (the predecessor of Beijing Normal University). After the Xinhai Revolution, Zheng Jitang was baptized by revolutionary thought, diligently studied the cause of education, and used new ideas to establish the First Affiliated Primary School of Beijing Normal University, becoming a well-known educator. In 1920, Zheng Jitang forced the public to hire Deng Wenshu (Deng Yingchao), a graduate of the First Women's Normal School directly under Tianjin, as a teacher of the First Affiliated Primary School of Beijing Normal University. In 1985, Deng Yingchao recalled: "At that time, primary schools did not employ female teachers, under the influence of the 'May Fourth' movement, Director Zheng Jitang went to Tianjin 'Women's Normal School' to recruit teachers, and the school took out a list of graduates for Director Zheng to choose, Director Zheng said, don't pick, I want the 'May Fourth' to go to Beijing's female student." I was the female student, and after I applied, I became the first generation of female teachers at the school. ”
Zheng Ziyue has been strictly required by his father in all aspects since he was a child, and his study has always hung an inscription from his father Zheng Jitang: "Don't be short of people, don't say your own strength." Be careful not to think about it, and be careful not to forget it when you are given. The world reputation is not enough, only benevolence is the discipline. In 1930, Zheng Ziyue graduated from Beijing Normal University, was encouraged by his father to study at Tokyo University of Education in Japan, received a master's degree, and later went to the University of Wisconsin Research Institute in the United States for further study. After returning to China, he successively taught at Beijing Normal University and Northeastern University, engaged in academic research and teaching in historical geography.
After the outbreak of the All-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1937, Zheng Ziyu moved with Northeastern University to Santai County, Sichuan Province. In the process of entering Sichuan, he led the students to investigate the local culture, natural area and geographical structure, and published a series of regional research reports in Sichuan, which provided an important reference for the Nationalist government to run the rear area of the War of Resistance. On this basis, he completed the "Geography of Sichuan" from 1942 to 1946, which was commended by the Ministry of Education of the National Government.
Go to the South China Sea to wash away the national shame
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, according to the cairo declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, the territory occupied by Japan must be returned to China. The Nationalist government is preparing to take over the South China Sea islands occupied by Japan. At that time, Zhang Lisheng, minister of the Interior, was a close friend of Zheng Ziyue's hometown, and the person in charge of this matter was Fu Jiaojin, director of the Fang Domain Department, who deeply recognized Zheng's prestige and achievements in the academic circles, and urged him to preside over the acceptance of the South China Sea Zhudao, and appointed Zheng as the commissioner of the Ministry of the Interior to accept the Nansha Islands. Zheng Ziyue experienced the arduous years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and witnessed the shattering of mountains and rivers, and now had the opportunity to use his professional knowledge to serve the country and wash away the national shame, and he was very happy, and immediately led several student assistants to his post.
In October 1946, Zheng Ziyue and Lin Zun, then commander of the Second Coastal Defense Fleet of the Nationalist Government, met at the mouth of the Huangpu River to carry out the task of receiving the Japanese-occupied South China Sea Zhudao. There were four warships in the mission: the Taiping, the Zhongjian, the Yongxing and the Zhongye. At the beginning of November, the four ships arrived at Yulin Port in Sanya, Hainan, but due to the extremely bad weather at sea and the high winds and waves, they could only anchor in the port for 3 weeks. On November 23, the two ships of China Construction and Yongxing took the lead in the direction of the Paracel Islands with commander Yao Ruyu. On December 9, Lin Zun commanded the Taiping and Zhongye warships to sail to the Nansha Islands. On December 12, the THIR arrived near Taiping Island, anchored 200 yards from the island, and received the personnel and materials they carried on the island in batches on small ships.
On December 14, the crew of the Zhongye ship completed the unloading of received materials and related equipment. Zheng Ziyue and the staff began to explore, map and erect monuments to Taiping Island. In particular, the work of erecting monuments is related to national sovereignty and national dignity, and everyone actively participates in the construction of two cement stone monuments. One of the large stone steles stands at the western end of Taiping Island, about five feet high and three feet wide, with a blue sky and white sun pattern carved on the upper end of the front, and the three words "Taiping Island" on the bottom; the back of the stone stele is engraved with "Republic of China 12 December 12, 1935", the left side is engraved "Zhongye Ship is here", and the right side is engraved "Taiping Ship is here". Another smaller stone stele stands at the eastern end of the island, inscribed "Taiping Island in the Nansha Islands" and "December 12, 1935 of the Republic of China" on the back. After the completion of the stone monument, everyone was very excited, and Zheng Ziyue took a group photo in front of the stone monument with everyone to witness history.
Zheng Ziyue in his youth
Subsequently, Zheng Ziyue continued to complete the reception of the South China Sea Zhudao with the fleet. In this process, he was extremely careful and careful, presided over the exploration, mapping and erection of monuments on each island and the corresponding sea areas, recorded the marine climate, economic properties and customs along the way, and retained a large amount of survey data. This also laid a solid foundation for his later compilation of the Geographical Outline of the South China Sea Islands.
Completed the work in the thousand autumns
In February 1947, Zheng Ziyue completed the reception of the South China Sea Zhudao. After returning to the Ministry of the Interior, he and his colleagues, such as Fu Jiaojin, immediately collated the actual measurement data, drew up a map of the South China Sea, and submitted a petition to the Executive Yuan for approval of a series of maps. On this basis, Zheng Ziyu completed the Geographical Chronicle of the South China Sea Islands after several months of editing, which was published and distributed by the Shanghai Commercial Press in November 1947.
The Geographical Outline of the South China Sea Islands is divided into three parts: the first part is the preface by Fu Jiaojin and the accompanying figure "Outline of the Location of the South China Sea Islands". The second part is the table of contents and the main text, which consists of seven chapters: chapter I, Introduction; Chapter II, Geology and Topography; Chapter III, Meteorological climate; Chapter IV, Essentials of Island Beach Risks; Chapter V, Economic Products; Chapter VI, Status Value; Chapter VII, Review of History. The third part is "Attached to the Ministry of the Interior publishes a comparison table of the old and new names of the South China Sea Zhudao" and "References for this book".
After the publication of this book, it became the most important reference for the study of the South China Sea issue. Its important value is reflected in the fact that the attached map "Sketch of the Location of the South China Sea Islands" determines the outline of China's sea frontier and is an important blueprint for the modern map of the South China Sea. The "Outline map of the location of the South China Sea Zhudao" delimits and names the waters of the South China Sea, and uses 11 national boundaries to delineate the scope of the waters of the South China Sea, which has become an important source of China's adherence to the nine-dash line of sovereignty in the South China Sea today, and an important legal basis for China to safeguard its maritime territory. According to the geographical location of the zhudao, the "Tuansha Islands" were renamed "Nansha Islands" and the original "Nansha Islands" were renamed "Zhongsha Islands", and a U-shaped line composed of 11 intermittent lines was demarcated around them, restoring and clarifying the outline of China's territory. At the same time, it once again clarified that the southernmost point of the national boundary line is marked as 4 degrees north latitude, and the "Zengmu Beach" was renamed "Zengmu Dark Sand" and included in China's sea frontier line. In addition, the book is accompanied by the "Comparison Table of New and Old Names of the South China Sea Zhudao" published for the first time by the Ministry of the Interior, of which the original name "Scarboro Reef" was renamed "Democracy Reef", that is, the present "Huangyan Island" (in 1983, the China Geographical Names Commission authorized the publication of "Some Standard Geographical Names of China's South China Sea Zhudao", a total of 287, of which Huangyan Island was used as the standard name, and Democracy Reef was used as a secondary name).
The value of the "Geographical Outline of the South China Sea Islands" lies not only in the field investigation of the South China Sea Islands and the change of the name of the islands, but also in Zheng Ziyue's understanding of the strategic value of the South China Sea and the islands.
The value of the land has two meanings at the same time: one is the value of its space, and the other is the value of its status. In a certain place, the wilderness is fertile, and the economic value of Tianlian Quemo is sincerely high, but it may not have the importance of status. On the contrary, the products of barren mountains and small islands are not enough to say, but the importance of their status is often related to the safety of a country and the victory or defeat of a world war. For example, if the Penghu Islands control the southern mouth of the Taiwan Strait, in terms of national defense position, it is actually heavier than the main island of Taiwan, and it is actually more important than the Keelung Military Port,...... All the islands in the South China Sea are covered in the sea, and can supply fresh water, fuel, and meteorological information to ships in peacetime, and can be used as a refuge place in case of wind; wartime it is the basis for supply stations and torpedo submarines, and it is an intelligence outpost, and its relationship between the transportation and national defense is the greatest to the greatest, and the Japanese people have long had aggressive ambitions. At the beginning of the restoration, we should take the opportunity to continue to build and strive for development, one in order to benefit our own country and avoid the covetousness of outsiders.
From the above content, it can be seen that Zheng Ziyue's thinking on the value of land and the operation of the South China Sea is profound and of great significance. The book also lists many unfavorable factors in the construction of the South China Sea Zhudao, and combined with the national strength at that time, he proposed five measures to consolidate sea power in the South China Sea:
1. The construction of a beacon of strong luminosity for observation can lift obstacles in bad weather.
2. Build meteorological observatories to predict climate.
Third, if radio stations are placed to facilitate intelligence, the wind and waves are dangerous and can be defended.
Fourth, build a long embankment to prevent waves, then the island is low and can also be sheltered from the wind.
Fifth, build a trestle bridge to avoid shoals, then the big ship can also be tied to the shore.
After the various constructions are completed, the islands use submarine liaison, and the islands and Yulin Port sail with new fast ships, echoing each other's horns, then the sea power in the South China Sea has been firmly established ever since.
After the publication of the Geographical Chronicle of the South China Sea Islands, Zheng Ziyue was commended by the Ministry of the Interior. The Nationalist government arranged for him to go to universities to give lectures on the historical and geographical background of the islands in the South China Sea, in order to highlight the achievements of the Nationalist government. However, the proposal to consolidate sea power in the South China Sea was sunk in the sea because the Kuomintang was busy with civil war. Feeling lost, Zheng left the Ministry of the Interior after the lecture tour.
End
Zheng Ziyue left a strong mark in history with the "Geographical Outline of the South China Sea Zhudao", which provided a legal basis for the Chinese government to safeguard sovereignty in the South China Sea. However, his idea of plotting for the country to consolidate and manage the South China Sea was put to rest with the corruption and incompetence of the Kuomintang authorities. This is also the epitome of the ambitions of intellectuals during the Republic of China period.
Source: Wenshi Tiandi Author: Gong Yanjie