SOUTH CHINA SEA HOMESTEADING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000200120002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 26, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: February 1, 1962
• Content Type: MISC

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SECRET WEEKLY INTELLIGENCE DIGEST No.. 11-62
AL REPORT
iA HOMESTEADING[
I1 (25X1
To civilian passengers on aMangkok to Hong Kong flight, the minute islets 30,000
feet below probably pass unnoticed. To the PAN AM crew they are simply navigational land-
marks. But to the military observer aboard the plane, these scattered islands hold con-
siderable significance for they represent an additional link in the chain of Communist expan-
sion. These are the controversial Paracel Islands 1 -for years considered of limited military
worth and by various countries exploited'primarily for economic reasons.
The Paracel Island Archipelago, strung out for some 90 nm, blasts roughly 20 islands
and reefs and is divided into two major groups: the Crescent Group, and the Amphitrite.
The islands have changed hands several times down through the centuries. Active claimants
have now narrowed to three:
1. The Chinese name for the Paracel Islands is Hsi-Sha Chuan-Tao.
10' 20' 30' 40' 50' 11
2? IV 2Y 30' 40' 50' 113?
2?
A E L I S
Q A hsi-Sha
. AND R E E
C h u n - t a o FS
20
0'
10'
NORTH REEF
AMPHITRITE GROUP
IP
%``TREE ISLAND
17?
WEST SAND. ^^ NORTH ISLAND
`L MIDDLE ISLAND
ISLAND
_ L
50
WOODY ISLAND;` ROCKY ISLAND
:
I DIDO BANK
50'
J
ILTIS BANK ti` j
40'
LINCOLN ISLAND
CRESCENT GROUP Ln41
40'
OBSERVATION BANK
"E-`'J PYRAMID ROCK raj
30
PATTLE ISLAND .~r.;,
NEPTUNA BANKS n 1ti
ROBERT ISLAND `t? - L o`.?t.?y' l,,-i
30'
-yati DRUMMOND ISLAND
MONEY ISLAND 1._,) DUNCAN ISLAND
4NT
20
e~010F '~'~ ice) JEHANGIRE BANK
l`-" 'VULAODORE REEF
Rff
20
p
DISCOVERY REEF ;?,p~u ~iII"?`^^:~ _, B
.
.
BREMEN BANK
,,
~
10'
h`.....
10
PASSU KEAH=-v?~ ?? BOMBAY REEF
50
LAGS
N. VIETNAM
CHAINAN
50'
TRITON ISLAND
PARACEL ISLANDS
THAILAND
40
\a
40'
S. VIETNAM
3Q
CAMBODIA
30'
10' 20' 30' 40' 50' 112? 10' 20' 30' 40' 50' BY
}
2 SECRET
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UNCLASSIFIED WEEKLY INTELLIGENCE DIGEST No. 11-62
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CONTENTS
SOUTH CHINA SEA HOMESTEADING
SPECIAL REPORT
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SECRET
. Republic of China Chinese fisher-
men, operating from Hainan, have usedvar-
ious islands of the Paracels for several
centuries. China officially claimed the Par-
acels in 1909 on the grounds that they had
always been a part of China and had never
been alienated. In 1938 the Chinese Am-
bassador to Paris protested a French as-
sertion of sovereignty. China sent an ex-
pedition to Woody Island in December 1946
and again proclaimed sovereignty over the
Paracels in January 1947. A minor brush
with a French expedition in May 1947 ledto
an informal agreement to settle the con-
flicting claims by negotiation or arbitration.
This never took place. In May 1950, following
the loss of Hainan to the Chinese Commu-
nists, the Nationalists withdrew from Woody
Island, but have continued to assert their
right of sovereignty.
Communist China Red China is-
sued its first formal claim to the Paracels
in 1951-apparently as heir presumptive to
previous Nationalist claims. In 1955 they
settled about 250 civilians on Woody to exploit
guano deposits and followed in 1958 with a
Island and
between Woody
Rocky Island I
fishing fleet. Red China is currently the most active claimant to these islands; however, to
date it has homesteaded only the Amphitrite Group plus Lincoln Island.
South Vietnam The Vietnamese officially claimed the Paracels as early as 1950
when the Emperor declared them part of Vietnamese national territory. South Vietnam pro-
gressively took over the garrison on Pattle Island from the French and to this day asserts
its claim to sovereignty of all the Paracels; however, SVN occupational holdings so far have
FEBRUARY 1962
XA-lk '%P
September 1961 Breakwater
ROCKY ISLAND
WOODY ISLAND
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WEEKLY INTELLIGENCE DIGEST No. 11-62
March 1958 Woody Island
diction of Indochina. After World War II the
French occupied the islands, but since have
deferred their claim to South Vietnam.
The Japanese claimed the Paracels in
1938 by right of discovery and exploited them
during World War H. However, Japan's claims
were extinguished by the 1946 San Francisco
Peace Treaty.
North Vietnam undoubtedly has a
strong interest in these islands; but, is ap-
parently deferring to Communist China's
claims.
The Philippines have not advanced any
official claim to the Paracels, but they con-
sider their status unsettled and open to any-
one.
The United Kingdom has made no
4' June 1959 Woody Island
S w
been confined to the Crescent Group.
The South Vietnamese have made no
effort to expand their facilities in the Cres-
cent Group. They continue to maintain a token
garrison of one marine platoon on Pattle and
Robert Islands, and one platoon of Civil Guard
on Duncan and Drummond Islands. ,
Other Parties There are other inter-
ested parties. France in 1938 proclaimed
possession and announced that the Paracels
had been occupied and placed under the juris-
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? SECRET
4 January 1960 Woody Island
f February 162 Woody Island
claim to the Paracels, although
the British surveyed the islands
in 1925. As late as 1936 the Brit-
ish apparently considered the is-
lands part of China, for the UK
sought rights to establish commer-
cial aviation bases from China.
UK current interests are not clear.
The United States has made
no claim to the islands nor any
determination as to sovereignty,
other than that they are not Japan-
ese. Nevertheless, the US does
recognize the Paracels as an area
where both the GVNandGRC have conflicting
claims. We have ignored Red China's claim
and her "serious warnings" program by con-
tinued aerial reconnaissance over-flights of
the islands.
Red Chinese Activities The Chinese
Communists have kept to the eastern half of
the Paracels (Woody, 'North, and Lincoln
Islands) and the South Vietnamese to the west-
ern half (Duncan, Pattle, and Drummond2).
Since their occupation of Woody Island, the
Chinese Communists have increased dwelling
2. In 1959 there was one incident wherein
South Vietnamese Marines seized Red Chi
nese fishermen who had put ashore on Dun-
can Island.
April 1959 Woody Island
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+ February (,1962 Woody Island
and storage construction which could have
military application. They are extremely
sensitive to incursions of their "territorial
waters" as evidenced by their "serious
warnings" campaign. Analysis of the 190 se-
rious warnings issued to date, reveals that
46 claims of military provocation have been
directed at US overflights of the Paracels.
This probably is a political machination de-
signed to underscore their claims to the is-
lands. On the other hand it could well be a
security effort to screen secret activity.
Recent photography revealed the location of
a communications station on both North and
+ August 1959 Woody Island
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$ January 1961 Woody Island
t March 1960 Lincoln Island
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SECRET WEEKLY INTELLIGENCE DIGEST No. 11-62
Rocky Islands, and what appeared to be a communications line strung between Rocky and
Woody Island. There was no evidence of radar facilities on any of the islands.
Red China has continued to build-up and expand her activities in the Paracels and is by
far the most active and vociferous claimant of these islands. However, across the imagi-
nary boundary separating the Crescent and Amphitrite groups, South Vietnam, equally strug-
gling for prestige, has expressed determination to resist encroachment on her present hold-
ings and claims. For one reason or another, the international status of these geographically
strategic islands has never been settled. The US has neither advanced a claim of its own in
the area, nor made any official determination of the merits of the respective claims of others-
except to ignore Red China. Despite their small size, with two on-the-spot contending claim-
ants jockeying for position, armed clashes are highly possible. Further, when it is felt that the
political-military atmosphere is ripe, Red China will not hesitate to create and use an in-
cident in the Paracels to further her efforts at international recognition.
PACIFIC PERSPECTIVES
SOUTH VIETNAM: MADAME NHU'S MINUTE MAIDS-PHASE TWO
The second phase of Madame Nhu's program to draw representatives of her sex into
her nation's fight for survival is underway. Beautiful, petite, and vigorous, Madame Ngo
Dinh Nhu, official hostess for brother-in-law President Diem and an ardent feminist, was
responsible for founding the Women's Paramilitary Training Center and giving it legal gov-
ernment support as a result of a National Assembly resolution last October.
The first phase began late in November 1961,
when 1,500 women began two months of intensive
military training at Thi Nghe in the Saigon area and
at the Army training camp at Quang Trang-15 kilo-
meters from Saigon. These first members of the
Women's Self Defense Corps, by now 1,450, con-
cluded their training on 26 January with graduation
ceremonies attended by President Diem.. The top 900
of those graduated are now being utilized in the sec-
ond phase-in programs to give part time training to
women in every province. Teams of four graduates
will train classes of 40 women two hours per week
for a period of 18 months under the nominal supervi-
sion of the Directorate of Youth. At the conclusion
of training the Corps presumably will be able to per-
form guard duty and other functions now carried out
by the Self Defense Corps.
Response to the call for volunteers for the 29
November class was excellent-500 volunteers from
the Saigon area responded to fill 152 vacancies.
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