#时事热点头条说#
Author: Wei Hanqing (Research Fellow, Womin High-Tech Ward Institute)
From the time we were in elementary school, we were told that our country has 9.6 million square kilometers of land. 9.6 million, basically becoming a "symbol" of the land area.
So after the release of the latest version of the map of China in 2023, why is everyone saying that China's land area has suddenly increased from 9.6 million square kilometers to 10.45 million square kilometers?
This represents an increase of 850,000 square kilometers, with an east-west span of 5,200 kilometers and a north-south span of 5,500 kilometers. Where did these 850,000 square kilometers come from?
Many people are happy these days, thinking that our country has been "mighty and majestic" over the years, and has regained 850,000 square kilometers at once. If this is the case, this is a major event that we will leave a great name in the 5,000-year history of the Chinese nation.
Although over the years, our People's Liberation Army has recaptured some places with blood and lives in the border areas and achieved actual control, and some countries have signed border negotiation treaties with us one after another, and we have actually increased some, but these are far from 850,000 square kilometers, which is only a fraction.
The fundamental reason is that the object and scope of our statistics have changed. In fact, territory is not only as simple as land area, but also includes inland seas, territorial seas, islands and reefs.
An important purpose of the new map we released this time is to strengthen the people's sense of territory and the maritime land.
According to the latest data given by National Geographic, our country has a land area of 9.44 million square kilometers, islands and reefs of 75,400 square kilometers (such as 36,000 for Taiwan and 35,000 for Hainan Island), and a beach area of 12,700 square kilometers, in addition to inland and territorial waters.
The inland sea refers to the deep interior of the continent, and there is a narrow waterway between it and the open sea, mainly in the form of an enveloping structure or semi-enclosing structure. The inland sea of the mainland is quite vast, reaching 693,000 square kilometers (for example, the Bohai Sea is our inland sea, with an area of about 80,000 square kilometers).
Then there is the territorial sea, which, like other lands, is part of the land area of the mainland.
So how are territorial waters calculated?
In fact, the territorial sea is not calculated along the coastline, but has a territorial sea baseline, and the waters inside the territorial sea baseline are called inland seas.
The baselines of the territorial sea are drawn according to the base points of the territorial sea, which are determined by each country in accordance with certain international regulations and domestic laws.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982, defines the breadth of each country's territorial sea, that is, 12 nautical miles from the baseline, and the sea in this area is its own territorial sea and an inseparable part of the national territory. Our country is determined by the 12 nautical mile standard.
At present, the territorial sea area of the mainland is 228,000 square kilometers, and the airspace, seabed and mineral resources in this area are all our country.
In this way, the territory of our country is mainly composed of (1) land area of 9.44 million + (2) islands and reefs 75,400 + (3) beach 12,700 + (4) inland sea 693,000 + (5) territorial sea 228,000 = 10,449,100 (square kilometers).
Therefore, everyone should generally know how the new version of the map came out after many people said that the land area was 10.45 million square kilometers!
China officially released the 2023 version of the standard map, which not only reflects our country's determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also serves as a warning to those countries with bad intentions.
Interestingly, the new version of the map specially indicates the following line: "Standardize the use of Chinese maps, you can't be wrong at all!" ”
Currently, countries such as India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and the United States reject the new version of China's map, but what can they do?
First, this is the situation!
Due to historical reasons, when our country was "weak", some countries took the opportunity to invade some of our islands and reefs and territories, such as the South China Sea, Vietnam invaded 29, the Philippines invaded 9, Malaysia invaded 5, and Brunei also occupied 1. Vietnam and the Philippines, in particular, not only do not know how to converge, but also constantly strengthen their military construction on these islands and reefs, especially at the instigation of the United States, they are complicit in the long-term occupation, and rely on these islands and reefs to confront China and become the "pawn" of the United States.
Since they want to break the originally calm situation in the South China Sea, why don't we take the initiative to attack, and don't we dare to generously indicate on the map that these islands and reefs are mine?
Second, this is the game!
Some countries took advantage of the temporary "weakness" of our country to invade our territory, islands and reefs, and we originally wanted to properly handle territorial disputes and disputes by talking with them well, but they ate it, and if we wanted to take it back from their mouths just through talks, just through "mouths", it is impossible.
Only by fighting can we take it back. Only when we dare to make moves and actively fight defensive counterattacks can we turn passive into active.
For example, in 1962 on the Sino-Indian border, we beat the Indian army, we have basically restored the previous line of actual control, but out of friendship, we took the initiative to retreat, but India for so many years, not only does not understand gratitude, but is more and more arrogant, in the middle of the Doklam, they provoke us; In the Galwan Valley in the western sector, they provoked us; In the southern Tibet region of the eastern sector, they provoked us.
This time, India wants to host the G20 summit, and once again provokes us to hold it in the disputed Kashmir region.
So why don't we take the opportunity to release our new map?
Countries like India, if they want to protest, let them protest!
Thirdly, this is a matter of law!
The mainland land marked on China's new map has been ours since history, and from the perspective of international law, it is also ours, but when our nation was "weak", it was seized by other countries.
For example, we have occupied and owned the islands and reefs in the South China Sea for Chinese long time, and we have owned them even before some countries around the South China Sea have formed formal states.
We should not only look at the proximity of these islands and reefs, but also look at the historical process.
For example, India has invaded our Tawang region, which is the birthplace of the Sixth Dalai Lama, an important holy place of Tibetan Buddhism, and certainly our land, although it was temporarily occupied by India, but we will inevitably take it back.
Another example is Bailongwei Island in the Gulf of Tonkin, which has always been ours, but during the Vietnam War, we gave Vietnam to help Vietnam fight the United States. On this island, there are also many of our martyrs' tombs who died during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Vietnam. You say, Vietnam, you say that you still have a conscience if you don't return Bailongwei Island to us, and you still have the slightest sense of gratitude?
From a legal point of view, from a natural point of view, is it not a matter of course for us to recover these territories now? If they are a little more knowledgeable, they should take the initiative to spit out what they eat!
Fourth, this is the responsibility!
The Communist Party of China is leading the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to forge ahead, we want to build a strong socialist country, we want to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the historical task we have undertaken determines that we must also recover these territories.
Fifth, this is strength!
Say a thousand, say ten thousand, all this depends on our strength, lost at that time, because our strength is not enough, then now our strength is enough, we should take it back.
If the strength is not enough, even if you produce more maps and make more diplomatic statements, it is useless.
Therefore, in the issue of national territory, "strength is king", and today, are we not enough to clean up a few buzzing "flies" and "mice"?!