In this meticulously researched volume, Vincent Chang resurrects a near forgotten yet pivotal chapter of Dutch-Chinese ties to narrate how World War II, the civil war in China, and Indonesiaâs decolonization redefined and remade this age-old bilateral relationship.
Drawing on a unique range of hitherto unexplored archives, the book explains how Chinaâs nascent rise on the global scene and the Netherlandsâ simultaneous decline as a colonial power shaped events in Dutch-controlled Indonesia (and vice versa) and prompted a recalibration of their mutual ties, culminating in the Netherlandsâ recognition of the Peopleâs Republic and laying the foundations for Dutch and Chinese policies through to the present.
Offering insightful analyses of power dynamics and international law at the close of empire, this book is a critical resource for historians and China specialists as well as scholars of international relations.
Vincent K.L. Chang, PhD (2016), a Dutch lawyer and historian, is Associate Professor of History at Southwest University (China) specializing in modern Chinese history and diplomacy. He also teaches at Leiden University and serves as a fellow of the LeidenAsiaCentre
Contents
Acknowledgments
List of Tables
List of Plates
Note
Introduction â1âDutch Diplomatic History
â2âChinese Diplomatic History
â3âMerging Histories
â4âTraits of Modern Dutch-Chinese Relations
â5âAims, Arguments, and Organization of the Book
Part 1: Readjustment
1 Diplomatic Relations During the Prewar Years: 1927â1936 â1âInternational Context
â2âDevelopment of Bilateral Ties
â3âDutch Official Representation in China
â4âChinese Official Representation in the Netherlands
â5âConclusion
2 Remission of the Dutch Share in Chinaâs Boxer Indemnity â1âA Watershed Moment
â2âThe Central Hydraulic Research Institute at Nanjing
â3âLife, Loss, and Lasting Friendship
â4âEffects and Significance
Plates 1â24
Part 2: Realignment
3 Diplomatic Relations during the War Years: 1937â1945 â1âInternational Context
â2âDevelopment of Bilateral Ties
â3âDutch Official Representation in China
â4âChinese Official Representation in the Netherlands
â5âConclusion
4 Abrogation of Dutch Extraterritorial Rights in China â1âThe System of Extraterritoriality in China
â2âExtraterritoriality and Dutch-Chinese Treaty Relations
â3âThe Dutch-Chinese Treaty of
â4âEffects and Significance
Plates 25â45
Part 3: Reset
5 Diplomatic Relations during the Postwar Years: 1946â1950 â1âInternational Context
â2âDevelopment of Bilateral Ties
â3âDutch Official Representation in China
â4âChinese Official Representation in the Netherlands
â5âConclusion
6 Recognition of the Peopleâs Republic of China â1âEarly Encounters
â2âThe Path to Recognition
â3âRationales, Response, Result
â4âEffects and Significance
Conclusion â1âChange and Continuity
â2âPolicies and People
â3âPower Dynamics
â4âPast and Present
â5âThe Future Past
Appendix 1: Chronology of Major Events
Appendix 2: Overview of Senior Envoys, 1927â1950
Appendix 3: Exchange of Notes Dated 4 April 1933
Appendix 4: Joint Announcement Dated 15 February 1943
Appendix 5: Dutch-Chinese Treaty of 29 May 1945
Appendix 6: Notes on Recognition, March/April 1950
Bibliography
Index
All interested in modern Chinese history and diplomacy (Republican era); historical Dutch-Chinese relations; transnational World War II history; Indonesiaâs decolonization and ethnic Chinese in Indonesia; and/or international law and diplomacy.