National Geographic Society on Wednesday said that it would change the designation “China” on the Paracel Islands, after the Viet group Nguyen Thai Hoc Foundation protested it and started an online petition signed by more than 8100 people worldwide in a matter of just days.
The issue is National Geographic’s World Political Map, to the left above. It’s online here.
The map labels the Paracels with its Chinese name and annotates in red, “China.”
That did not sit well with red blooded Vietnamese, who had held the island until 1974 when the Chinese navy overran the Vietnamese garrison there and took the islands.
The group Nguyen Thai Hoc Foundation started an online petition calling for the removal of the “China” label. The petition was started on March 11 and by March 16 it already had 8100+ signatures.
The Bolsavik contacted the National Geographic Society during the weekend for Nguoi Viet Daily News, and on Monday its spokesperson, Communications Manager Cindy Beidel acknowledged that the society was aware of the petition and that it would respond soon – which it then did the next day.
Interestingly, on a different map, that of Asia, the National Geographic Society had a different legend. On there, the label says: “Administered by China (claimed by Vietnam).”
Ms. Beidel explained that the map of Asia is “a different map at a different scale, which allows for greater detail.”
On Tuesday, National Geographic issued a press release, explaining that the label currently used is apolitical and merely reflects the de facto reality on the ground.
Nonetheless, National Geographic acknowledged that “simply denoting the archipelago with the Chinese name and the word ‘China’ in parenthesis without further explanation can be misleading and misinterpreted.”
As a result, the society said that it would “either provide the additional explanation that is included on our other maps as described above, or … will omit any designation.”
In other words, in future editions – which may be a year or more away – the islands will no longer be labeled just “China.”
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(By the way, remember the strange woman who threw a fit at the Westminster Vietnam War Memorial, here? It was at the commemoration of the 1974 battle over those islands.)
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That is good news. Thanks a lot.
It is a good news.
i look at the map and this island seem to be much closer to vietnam.
why would the chinese want to own this island?
Good work!
Go Bolsavik!
I wish National Geography would label it : “Illegally taken by China, will be retaken by Vietnam”.
Thanks Nguyen Thai Hoc Foundation for the good work and thanks Bolsavik for your contribution.
To all Vietnames around the world : no matter what is your political stand, It’s our duty as Vietnamese to fight ferociously to keep the Spratly (Truong Sa) and retake Paracel (Hoang Sa) from the Chinese hand.
ML
Kim Chi:
It depends from your perspective or as they say: ‘what you want to believe’.
The Chinese claimed that the distance measuring from the Southernmost region of Hainan (Sanya) is closer to that of Da Nang to the Paracel Island.
One could build a case on this notion, but how? It hard to draw a line on the map with definite distinction to determine where beach stops and the water begins.
Hence, the law of the all-too-powerful applies to serves the strong.
- the islands will no longer be labeled just “China.”
This is good news. Good job Bolsavik!
who cares?
“I don’t care” is an idiot !
Too stupid to care about anything.
Today, VietnamNet has an interesting article about the memories of former South Vietnames soldiers, recalling how they guarded and fought to protect Paracels islands against Chinese Naval invasions :
http://vietnamnet.vn/psks/201003/Hoang-Sa-trong-ky-uc-cua-nhung-chien-binh-899410/
Nguyen Van Lanh is one of the best Viet scholar of Feng Shui and interpretation of Chinese poems which in essence missives from a prophet who wrote predictions from the ancient past for the future. Many of his interpretations indeed came true such as the collapse of South Vietnam and the Gulf war.
The prophet often wrote in cryptic form and the clue is nothing more than few words. The words “cuu cuu” (dual 9-9) in ancient poems is the clue to predict when Vietnam will no longer under Communist control. There are major events every 9 years when dual 9-9 occurs.
1936 (3+6=9)
Communist organizational consolidation. The Communist party won over millions of people to the ideal and built up a mass political force.
1945 (4+5=9)
Emperor Bao Dai abdicated. Japan surrendered to the Allies and transferred power to Communist party (Viet Minh).
1954 (5+4=9)
French defeated at Dien Bien Phu. Agreements reached at Geneva to divide Vietnam into North and South at 17th parallel.
1963 (6+3=9)
South Vietnam’s president Diem and president Kennedy assasinated. Political crisis intensified.
1972 (7+2=9)
Kissinger secretly negotiated with North Vietnam. Nixon arrived in China. The fate of South Vietnam was decided. The period from 1972-1975 is called “decent interval”.
1981 (8+1=9)
Lightning struck Bang Giang mountain (heart of the dragon)
1990 (9+0=9)
The US moved to normalize diplomatic ties with Vietnam. Secretary of State James Baker met with Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach in New York.
1999 No dual 9-9
2008 No dual 9-9
2017
From 1936-2017=81 (9×9) years. No more Communist rule. Only sunflower (the flower is native to central America) indicating the US will be a major influence in Vietnam, not the Chinese.
The S-shaped Vietnam is like a sleeping dragon:
The head is at a cave near Pac Bo, a village nestled amid the Northern landscape of limestone hills. It was at this cave Ho Chi Minh met Pham Van Dong and Vo Nguyen Giap.
The heart is at Bang Giang mountain.
The body is along coastal central region.
The tail is at That Son mountain in the South.
In 1979, when the Chinese invaded Vietnam, the Chinese Feng-Shui masters purposely destroyed the Pac Bo cave to kill the dragon.
However, in 1981, heavy lightning (God’s help) struck at Bang Giang mountain (to jump start the heart).
And then the dragon is awake but can’t move around freely because Paracels island blocks the body and Phu Quoc island blocks the tail.
So, God has to remove Paracels and Phu Quoc islands to help the dragon.
According to the prophet, Vietnam will not only lose Paracels island but also Phu Quoc island, and then the dragon will emerge.
We have to protect our land. It does not matter how small it is.
The Chinese government is bulling us and they are trying to take over the country just like thousands years ago.
Our Vietnameses people all over the world must united and protest the taking our any Vietnamese land.
I am really happy beacause today the truth wins.Spratly and Paracel islands belong to our Vietnam.
Jane is correct on her statement. These islands belong to our Vietnam.
If these islands don’t become a big tourist attraction that brings in big revenue to the country from tourists… i won’t fight for it or risk my life.
From the satellite view, all i can see is an airport and several buildings with chinese flags. not enough beaches to turn these islands into anything useful.
Dear Hoang;
Strategically speaking, this piece of dirt can be crucial for the viet coastal defense force, if there is any.
The Chinese can use that group of islands working in concert with the big island Hai Nam and the southernmost piece of inland China, Quang Dong, to round up all ships and boats coming out of Viet Nam along the water way, from the North, Hai Phong all the way to Da Nang, that counts for almost half of Viet Nam coastal region.
In another word, The North Viet Nam will be seized and rendered defenseless if the war break out between Viet and China.
Commercially speaking, China will own the fishing rights along the coastline, Viet Nam fishermen have been harassed by the China Naval gun ships when they come out too far, half way between Viet Nam and the islands, that’s where the big fishes can be found. Some Viet fishing boats were rocketed and sunk, lives were lost. The nation sovereignty was provoked, war is already started. The viet politburo tried hard to play it down …’just a small piece of land’, like you said.
Again as I said before, The law of the all-too-powerful applies to serves the strong.
Great Post…. Thanks
@VPS; It is a game of chess.
I wish the Viet Nam politburo HAD RECOGNIZED the important of this group of islands earlier, now that the islands were taken over by the China, it would be impossible to get them back. I hope that it will not be the end of the struggle.
Footnote: The last-great-king of Viet Nam, Quang Trung, Nguyen Hue had the vision to secure Quang Dong and Quang Tay and Hai Nam, however his plan was faded into oblivion after his sudden death at 40.