Okay. British ambassador was in China. But don't you know telegram was widely used in 1898? Distance was not a problem anymore. If British wanted to talk with France gov, they would do it in the same day. But they did not. Instead, British chose a worse counterpart-----Qing, who was not familiar with International Laws. For all western countries, dealing with Qing gov on diplomatic issues was always a headache.
British had asked the Chinese first , that doesn't mean that they did not ask other countries.
you know what's wrong with your logic ?
it doesnt matter you have got 1 map or 100 maps
you just need 1 "convictive" map
you want to prove china didnt own the islands you just follow 2 steps
step 1: find out 1 map which has been affirmed to be official documents of "the whole outline of country territory"
(including sea territory)
step 2: in this official countrywide map, you find out the map didnt mark those islands claimed by china
if you succeed in doing this, it will qualify you for challenging the claim of China in a small dose,
because map mistake often happens even in some developed country nowadays
but you do nothing now but offering a "misguided proof"
and you chatter so noisily about that "chinese dare not talk about History"
with the complete unawareness of your own knowledge defection and self ignorance.
You dont need to explain roundly. In the fact all real China's maps before 1904 did not mention both Paracels and Spratlys.
Besides, Vietnam has many evidences to prove that at the time Paracels and Spratlys belong to Vietnam.
It is difficult to the sides recognize the evidence of others, so why dont all sides around SCS together come to an international court to resolve disputes?
By the way:
Old western maps: Hoang Sa, Truong Sa belong to Vietnam
VietNamNet Bridge – Many old western maps show that Vietnam has established its sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos for over five centuries, said a local researcher.
A map made by Jodocus Hondius in 1613.
Tran Duc Anh Son, Deputy Director of the Danang Institute for Socio-economic Development, said he has collected 56 western maps including one made by Livro da Marinjaria FM Pinnto in 1560, one by Gerard Mercetor in the late 16th century, and another made by Stielers Handatla in 1891.
All the maps, drawn in pictographs or scripts, show that both the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa are part of Vietnam, named Cauchi, Cochi, Cochinchina, or Cochinnhine by Western countries.
In the map made by Jodocus Hondius in 1613, the Frael (Hoang Sa) archipelago includes all the islands from the Tonkin Gulf to Vietnam’s southern sea, except for Condor (Con Dao) and Pulo Cici (Phu Quoc), which were drawn separately.
A map made by Bishop Jean-Louis Taberd.
In another map drawn by W. Blaeu in 1645, the Frael (Hoang Sa) archipelago is connected with Pulo Secca de Mare (Phu Quy island), Pulo Cambir (Cu Lao Xanh), and Cullo Canton (Ly Son island), creating a group of islands belonging to Dang Trong (Vietnam’s Southern region).
Especially, the caption Paracel seu Cat Vang (Paracel or Cat Vang) in a map made by Bishop Jean-Louis Taberd, which was written in Han (Chinese), Quoc Ngu (standard Vietnamese) and Latin languages, means that Hoang Sa islands belong to Vietnam.
This means, Son said, many Western cartographers, experts and discoverers have recognized the Hoang Sa archipelago as part of Vietnam, which they called Cochinchine, Cochinchina, or Annam.
These maps are precious documents which confirm Vietnam has long exercised its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.
VietNamNet/VOV
VietNamNet
