Sovereignty and meteorology: China, France, and the 1932 Xisha Islands dispute

An intense debate broke out between China and France over the sovereignty of the Xisha Islands in the early 1930s, in which meteorology played a key role. Scholars have paid increasing attention to the relationship between science and politics; this article demonstrates the multifaceted role of meteorology in asserting sovereignty in the context of East Asian international politics. The establishment of a meteorological observatory on the Xisha Islands was designed to demonstrate China’s administrative control over the territory, and to reinforce its sovereignty. In addition, international meteorological conferences also provided an arena through which Chinese diplomats could establish China’s position in this region. With rising nationalism, it is arguable that, because meteorological factors are strongly connected to transportation, the military, the economy, and technology, meteorology was highlighted in the Xisha Islands case and became the core issue in the diplomatic dispute between China and France. Drawing on official documents of the Chinese National Government, along with reports from the English and Chinese press, this article shows how China strategically employed meteorology as a tool for asserting territorial sovereignty over the Xisha Islands, arguing that science provided an effective means of solving its territorial disputes with foreign powers.