Various maps were promulgated between 1933 and 1935 that asserted Chinese sovereignty into the South China Sea, reaching almost a thousand miles from the Chinese mainland, and with Chinese names for the various islands (in the words of a recent government document), “reviewed and approved.” A singular cartographic combatant led the charge—Bai Meichu, one of China’s most influential and respected geographers. His work was inspired not only by longitudes and latitudes but also by nationalist passion. “Loving the nation is the top priority in learning geography,” he said, “while building the
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