2.1.2 Evidence from China and the West
- In book 3 of Hai Ngoai Ky Su of Thich Dai San (written by a Chinese author), 1696 mentions about Van Ly Truong Sa (which is Hoang Sa) and confirms that the Nguyen Lords have been making explorations and exploiting the products on the islands.
- Ancient maps of China drawn by Chinese before 1909 all indicate that Tay Sa (Xisha or Paracel) and Nam Sa (Nansha or Spratly) did not belong to China. Looking at the Chinese maps before 1909, we see that there is no notation of Tay Sa and Nam Sa archipelagos. All those maps indicated that Hai Nan was the southernmost territory of China.
After China used violence to take over Hoang Sa in January 1974, Chinese expedition groups to the island claimed to “discover” ancient artifacts, potteries, etc.. on these islands, but none of these are valuable in determining Chinese sovereignty over the islands. On the contrary, they discovered on the Northern face a shrine “Hoang Sa Tu” on the Vinh Hung island (or Ile Boisée), which is further evidence of Vietnamese establishing sovereignty over the islands.
Evidence from the West
- The Diary on the Amphitrite Ship (1701) confirms that Paracels is an archipelago belonging to An Nam (Viet Nam).
- “Le Mémoire sur la Cochinchine” of Jean Baptiste Chaigneau (1769-1825) confirms that in 1816 the emperor Gia Long established sovereignty of Vietnam over the Paracels islands.
- “Univers, histore et description de tous les peuples, de leurs religions, mours et coutumes” of Bishop Taberd (1833) recounts that the emperor Gia Long officially asserted Vietnamese sovereignty over the Hoang Sa islands in 1816.
- The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. VI published the article written by Bishop Taberd regarding the above matter.
- In The Journal of the Geographycal Society of London (1848), GutzLaff noted that An Nam established a small port and camp to collect taxes on Paracels.
2.2. Vietnamese Government
2.2.1 The Emperor Minh Mang and Bo Cong has asserted numerous times that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belonged to Vietnam.
2.2.2 Throughout the Nguyen Lords period, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa were seen as one and were administered bye Quang Nghia or Nghia under various administrative levels depending on the historical period.
2.2.3 The Hoang Sa Company began before or during the period of Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan (1648-1687) in the area of Sa Ky – Cu Lao which is an opening to the sea. The people here are seafarers who go out to search for valuable products of the ocean.
The responsibilities of the Hoang Sa Company were to collect valuable sea products and goods from sunken ships in the area of the Hoang Sa archipelago, manage, and direct the Bac Hai Company in the South, explore and report about criminal elements on the sea.
The Hoang Sa Company had both civil and military, both private and governmental characteristics. It had an economic role as well as a security role in the Eastern Sea.
2.2.4 The Bac Hai Company worked under the direction of the Hoang Sa forces.
2.2.5 The emperor’s naval forces began to carry out activities in 1816 by making explorations, taking measurements, and drawing maps.
In 1833 the emperor Minh Mang escalated the process of establishing sovereignty by ordering the erection of ownership tablets, and planting stakes annually with detailed information about individuals having responsibility on the islands.
The Emperor Minh Mang erected shrines and ordered the planting of trees on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. The purpose of planting trees was to help ships recognize the islands in order to avoid accidents
