The world’s major flashpoints have ignited: ‘Russia-Ukraine War’ and ‘Israel-Palestine Conflict.’ Following closely, the situation of Taiwan Strait is on the brink, making Asia-Pacific region a focal point for global military and political experts. UDP recommends three of our databases: South China Sea Disputes Archive (1877-1988) covering territorial disputes, Taiwan Epochal Democracy Magazines documenting significant opposition movements in Taiwan and Hong Kong since 1949, and Cambridge Archives – East Asia (1841-1970), for scholars interested in Asia-Pacific geopolitics and history.
South China Sea Island Disputes Archive (1877-1988)
The South China Sea Island has been the center of ongoing disputes among coastal nations due to its abundant fisheries resources, crude oil, and natural gas, as well as its significance as a vital shipping route. These disputes have escalated over the years, even leading to military conflicts, drawing increasing international attention. The archive comprises curated texts, maps, and official documents from various national archives spanning 1877 to 1988. These materials shed light territorial disputes in the South China Sea Island, including the Central Spratly Islands, the northwestern Paracel Islands, and the northeastern Scarborough Reef. This conflict is among the world’s most enduring and intricate, with neighboring nations and colonial powers asserting claims. China’s sovereignty dates back to the Han Dynasty, while Vietnam’s claims stem from historical vassalage and French rights, notably in the Paracel Islands. The archive covers late 19th-century colonial development and 20th-century conflicts, mainly from Western sources, with added historical and legal context. Available in English, French, Chinese and published by East View Information Services, INC., documents are tagged for easy search and include map markers for geographic reference.
Taiwan Epochal Democracy Magazines (1949－1992 launched)
In recent years, Taiwan has achieved the top ranking in Asia’s ‘Democracy Index,’ representing the sole Chinese-speaking region with a comprehensive democratic system. Throughout its tumultuous history of colonization and foreign rule spanning four centuries, Taiwan has undergone a remarkable transition from authoritarian Chiang regime to its current status as a flourishing democracy. Taiwan’s unique democratic journey offers valuable insights and references for global democratic development. This series exclusively digitizes classic public opinion forums from Taiwan and Hong Kong, launched between 1949 and 1992, preserving the significant contributions of forgotten opposition movements. It allows contemporary audiences to revisit the intellectual elegance of opinion leaders from that era and rediscover the original aspirations of Taiwanese democracy seekers. Selection criteria include featuring influential writings from opposition camps in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China during the authoritarian era, which challenged mainstream thinking, promoted taboo issues, and eventually became mainstream. These writings initiated valuable cultural trends and introduce previously uncollected and digitized insights of great contemporary research value.
Cambridge Archives – East Asia(1841-1970)
The British Empire’s firsthand, secret, diplomatic correspondence regarding Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, Straits Settlements (Singapore, Malaysia), and Vietnam is meticulously documented in the ‘Cambridge Archives.’ This exclusive and invaluable archive, now declassified and digitized, offers insight into how the ‘Empire on which the sun never sets’ recorded significant historical events in these nations during its zenith. The following are select highlights from these exclusive and precious records.
【Taiwan】（1861～1960, 10 Vol., 7,000 Pages）
- In 1950, the United States Seventh Fleet guarded the Taiwan Strait.
- Records of the Mudan Incident of 1874-1875.
- Overviews of Taiwan general situations and commercial information of Tamsui during 1861- 1895.
- Commercial reports from Taiwan during 1896-1941.
- Regular economic reports.
- Japan’s annual national reports, including a section on Taiwan.
- Annual political reviews of Taiwan during 1953 – 1965.
【Hong Kong】（1841～1941, 6 Vol., 3,000 Pages）
- Prospectus of HSBC from 1864.
- Annual Major Business Reports.
- Reports on Opium Trade and Consumption Conditions.
- Meeting Records of the China Medical Missionary Association and the Hong Kong Branch of the British Medical Association in 1925.
- Establishment and Development of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, and Its Relationship with the Qing Dynasty Customs.
- News Records of Hong Kong’s Reaction to Sun Yat-sen’s Passing.
【China】（1911～1970，14 Vol., 8770 Pages）
- Report on the negotiations between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the United States in 1951.
- Report by British diplomats on Mao Zedong and other leaders in 1939.
- Report on Chiang Kai-shek’s efforts to pacify the southern region after Sun Yat-sen’s death.
- The ‘Rustication’ of Urban Youth.
- The National People’s Congress of 1963.
- The 1967 mob attack on the British Consulate in Shanghai and its closure.
- The Chinese Communist Party’s crackdown on the Red Guards in 1968.
【Shanghai】（1842～1943, 18 Vol., 14,500 Pages）
- Shanghai’s annual land regulations.
- Business records of The British in Shanghai.
- Negotiation records of the May 30th Massacre.
- The charter issued by the U.S. government on June 25, 1863.
- Court records from the Shanghai Concession.
- Relevant statistical records within the concession.
【Japan】（1906～1970, 14 Books, 9,500 Pages）
- The British assessment report on Japan’s fiscal capacity to support its military expansion during the 1930s.
- The British assessment report on Japan’s recovery capacity for the ten years following World War II.
- Daily development reports on post-war trade and association organizations.
【Korea】（1882～1970, 14Vol., 10,000 Pages）
- British records regarding the Assassination of Empress Myeongseong caused by Japan in 1895.
- British records of the Second Japan-Korea Treaty in 1905.
- British records of the announcement by Li Shengwu of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in 1919.
- A briefing on Korea’s situation circulated within the British Parliament in 1950.
- A special report following the execution of An Jung-geun who assassinated Ito Hirobumi.
【Straits Settlements】（1855～1941, 12 Books, 7850 Pages, 6 Maps）
- Annual reports from the Indian Imperial Government on the region.
- Annual Blue Book reports from the local colonial governments.
- Meeting records of colonial government and local council sessions.
【Vietnam】(1919-1946, 2 Vol., 3556 Pages)
Since 1887, the region known as Vietnam, comprising Tonkin (North Vietnam), Annam, and Cochinchina, has been part of French Indochina, under French rule rather than British territory. However, during different phases of the tumultuous 20th century, the British government unintentionally influenced the future of Vietnam due to various covert events. This archive begins with a petition submitted by a person named ‘Nguyen Ai Quoc’ (Ho Chi Minh) to the British during the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. It later witnesses Vietnam’s transition from one period of turbulence to another, as it navigates challenges of nationalism and the threat posed by Japan, including the British overseeing the withdrawal of Japanese forces from Vietnam in 1946 and the subsequent return of French authority.
- Exploring the national struggle under French colonial rule from the unique perspective of the British government.
- Each document is accompanied by individual annotations, organized chronologically and thematically, guiding readers through history.
