从地图看中国南海海域疆界线的形成与演进——中国南海九条断续国界线

The Evolvement of the State Maritime Boundary in South China Sea By Maps:China's Nine-dotted Maritime Boundary Line in South China Sea

南海诸多岛礁是中国最早发现的领土,南海九条断续线是中国海域疆界线。南海九条断续线的形成与演进,既是重要的海洋地缘政治问题,也是维护国家主权权益和岛礁保护与资源管理的重要问题。南海断续国界线形成的历史线索是中国历史研究中一个尚未拓展的领域。地图是国际上确认领土的一种证据,除了用文字进行阐述外,着重利用地图本身特有的功能来反映这条界线的形成与发展过程。这条疆界线的形成分为雏形期、形成期、成型期3个时期：在20世纪30年代以前,出现在南海的中国海上疆界线的时期,为疆界线形成的雏形期;20世纪30年代为南海疆界线的形成期;20世纪40~50年代,为南海海域疆界线的成型期。从以上时期的地图上可以形象地看到这条海上疆界线的＂连续线＂和＂断续线＂2种画法。同时从地图发展上可以直观地看到这条疆界线由11条线演变成为现今的9条线。这条海域疆界线的形成与演变过程,说明了南海9条断续海域疆界线内的岛礁是中国领土的历史事实,南海9条断续海域疆界线是中国海上国界线。

Many islets and reefs in South China Sea are main parts of China. The nine-dotted line is China＇ s maritime boundary line. To study the formation and evolvement of the nine-dotted line is not only a matter of maritime geopolitics, but also a matter of maintain sovereignty, protection of islets and reefs and resources management. How the nine-dotted line came into being is an academic topic that has not been studied much. Map is one of the means by which a country claims its territory. Besides demonstration in words, map-reading is used in this article to study the formation and evolvement of the nine dash lines to deline the South China Sea. The whole formation process is divided into three phases, namely the initial phase, taking-shape phase, and the final phase. Time before the 1930s witnessed the appearance of the maritime boundary line in South China Sea. The boundary line took shape in the 1930s, and its evolvement came to the final stage in the 1940s-1950s. The original continuous line demarcation and the dotted line demarcation in this sea area can all be found on maps in that period. The maps clearly showes how the eleven-dotted line demarcation changes to the current nine-dotted line demarcation. With the formation and evolvement of the nine-dotted line clarified, the historical fact could be confirmed that China has sovereignty over the islets and reefs within the line. The nine-dotted line is the final maritime boundary line of China.