Vietnamese comic book on sovereignty stirs up Chinese concerns

 

The first volume of the series

The comic series “Than dong dat Viet: Hoang Sa – Truong Sa” or Vietnamese Child Prodigies and Paracels – Spratly” were initiated by Phan Thi Communication, Education and Entertainment.

The first volume “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa – khang dinh chu quyen” or Paracels, Spratly – Affirming Vietnamese Sovereignty, was published in September.

While the publishing of the book received great support and appreciation from local readers, several Chinese newspapers have disputed claims made in the book.

Several local experts said the situation has proven the influence of the book and indicates the initial success of Vietnam’s long-term effort to protect sovereignty over the islands based on much evidence.

Dr. Nguyen Nha, former consultant to the book's authors, said, “Comics about Hoang Sa and Truong Sa are a positive start of a new communication strategy to convey messages of patriotism and knowledge about the country’s sea and island sovereignty to the young generations in a simple way.”

The ten-volume comic series follows the familiar characters Trang Ty (Prodigy Ty) and his friends, Meo, Siu and Dan in stories about the history of the Hoang Sa-Truong Sa archipelagos and Vietnam’s sovereignty over its sea and islands.

The first volume provides historical documents which demonstrate that King Gia Long established and confirmed Vietnam’s sovereignty over waters and islands in the East Sea in the early 19th century. It also mentions King Minh Mang’s resolution on Vietnam’s sovereignty, and shows the first national flag on Hoang Sa Island.

The volume tells a story about Ty and those who helped him, including a princess from the Nguyen dynasty.

The Phan Thi Company’s aim was to teach young people about Vietnam’s sea and island rights. Phan Thi My Hanh, the company’s director, said “We traded on the success of the already well-known “Vietnamese Child Prodigies” to publish this comic book about Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in order to get young readers interested in the subject of sea and island sovereignty and show them the evidence that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belong to Vietnam.”

“We received a lot of support from the historian Dr. Nguyen Nha and the Navy High Command, who have provided us with plenty of documents to make sure our young readers receive accurate information.”