China Handbook 1957-1958 by The China Handbook Editorial Board (RARE First Edition, Illustrated), 1958 📜🇹🇼🇨🇳

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a rare and a cornerstone work of Cold War-era political history. The book, China Handbook 1957-1958, is a comprehensive reference work that provides a detailed, firsthand account of the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan during a crucial period of its history.

Published in 1958 by the China Publishing Company in Taipei, Taiwan, this volume is a highly sought-after artifact for collectors of East Asian studies. It offers a unique window into a significant period of Chinese and Taiwanese relations. Its documented rarity and exceptional content make this a premier acquisition for any serious library.

2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

The China Handbook 1957-1958 is a comprehensive reference work that provides a detailed look into the Republic of China on Taiwan. It documents the political structure, economic activities, social developments, and diplomatic relations of the island nation. The yearbook contains information on a wide range of topics, including the government, economic production, foreign relations, and military affairs.

It offers a window into the official perspective of the ROC government as it was solidifying its place in the world. This edition features maps and illustrations that add a valuable visual dimension to its content.

3. About the Author ✍️🏛️✨

The China Handbook Editorial Board was responsible for compiling and publishing this handbook, playing a central role in documenting and disseminating information about Taiwan's development.

The board's work contributed to shaping the understanding of Taiwan's situation and its progress, particularly for an English-speaking audience. While the specific individuals on the board may not be widely known, their collective effort in producing this publication makes them significant contributors to the historical record of Taiwan.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1958, this book is a historical marker of the Cold War. It captures the nation's self-image and documented state as it continued to build and develop its infrastructure and international presence. The book is a tangible link to a significant era in Taiwan's history, reflecting a nation's desire to document its own progress and assert its identity on a global stage.

The book's publication occurred during a period of international isolation for the ROC government, as many nations began to shift their recognition to the People's Republic of China on the mainland. In this context, the China Handbook was a critical tool for the ROC to assert its sovereignty and legitimacy on the world stage. It was a document of defiance and a statement of intent, detailing the ROC's progress despite its political challenges.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is intended for a curator of East Asian political history, a scholar of the Cold War, or a private collector of specialized historical reference volumes.

It is an ideal acquisition for an individual who seeks to understand the intellectual and political currents that shaped the relationship between Taiwan and Mainland China. This volume would be a centerpiece in a collection focused on the history of political propaganda or post-war reconstruction in Asia. 

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This 1958 First Edition of the China Handbook is a valuable and collectible item for several reasons. Its primary value stems from its status as a highly specific, primary source document for the history of the Republic of China on Taiwan.

As a yearly volume, it was not mass-produced and was often discarded when a new edition was released, making its survival in a well-preserved state a genuine rarity on the market. The book’s worth is derived directly from its market scarcity and its documented history as a historical artifact.

The book is approximately 67 years old, a testament to its survival and continued relevance.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This book is a used hardcover edition with a black cloth binding.

• The binding shows authentic wear consistent with its age, including rubbing and scuffing.

• The pages have some expected discoloration, but the text remains clear and readable.

• The book has a library-style card holder on the last page, which suggests it was once part of an institutional collection.

8. Translation of Inscriptions/Ephemera (Conditional) ✍️📜🔤

This book is distinguished by a library-style card holder on the last page. This piece of ephemera indicates the book's past as part of a lending collection. The card holder transforms the book into a unique artifact, documenting its journey from publication to a specific institution.

• Transcription: The card holder has no specific inscription to transcribe.

9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• This edition includes a fold-out map, a key feature that provides geographical context for the information within the book.

• The library-style card holder adds a unique layer of history, documenting the book's past as part of an institutional collection.

• The book's content provides an official and unfiltered look at how the ROC government viewed its own progress and its relationship with Mainland China.

10. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: China Handbook 1957-1958

• Author/Maker: China Handbook Editorial Board

• Year: 1958

• Publisher/Foundry: China Publishing Company

• Place of Origin: Taipei, Taiwan

• Format/Binding: Hardcover, Cloth

• Edition: First Edition

• Rarity: Rare

• Transcription: N/A
  

11. Summary of 1957

• A soldier's acquittal sparks public anger: The crisis began after an American military tribunal in Taipei acquitted U.S. Army Master Sergeant Robert G. Reynolds in the killing of a Taiwanese civilian, Liu Ziran. The verdict provoked widespread indignation among Taiwanese citizens, who perceived the outcome as an unfair exercise of extraterritoriality and a symbol of U.S. overreach.
• Protests escalate into violence: Following the acquittal, large crowds gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Taipei. The protest escalated into a full-scale riot, during which the U.S. Embassy and the nearby U.S. Information Agency were ransacked and damaged.
• Chiang Kai-shek's apology: ROC President Chiang Kai-shek was forced to issue a personal apology to U.S. Ambassador Karl Lott Rankin. The incident required the deployment of thousands of ROC troops to restore order, demonstrating the fragility of ROC-U.S. relations and the underlying tensions within Taiwan's society. 

• Continuing cross-strait hostilities: Despite the internal turmoil, the military standoff with the PRC continued unabated. Both sides maintained military forces on high alert across the Taiwan Strait, with the ROC using its garrisons on the offshore islands of Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matsu for reconnaissance and harassment of mainland forces.
• U.S. concerns about ROC offensive: U.S. diplomats and policymakers remained concerned about ROC President Chiang Kai-shek's continued ambition to retake the mainland. The U.S. worked to restrain ROC offensive military capabilities while upholding its defense commitments under the 1954 Mutual Defense Treaty.
• PRC military buildup: Meanwhile, a U.S. intelligence estimate from 1957 noted that the PRC, with Soviet aid, would continue to strengthen and modernize its armed forces, with a primary foreign policy goal of gaining control of Taiwan. 

• U.S. economic aid: American economic aid remained crucial for Taiwan's economic survival. U.S. officials also recognized the authoritarian nature of ROC governance, noting the government's low priority on developing a viable economy as it focused on military matters and stability.
• Local elections: In April, local elections were held, a process that helped legitimize the government's claim to democratic rule while operating under martial law.
• Chinese Communist Party's Five-Year Plan: In mainland China, the PRC was on track to meet many of the goals of its first Five-Year Plan, particularly in heavy industry, demonstrating its consolidation of power and economic progress.

Overall, 1957 served as a reminder that the Taiwan-China dynamic was not only about military confrontation across the strait. It also involved delicate diplomatic relations, internal dissent within Taiwan, and the complex leverage of Cold War politics. The May 24 incident revealed the deep-seated grievances related to U.S. military presence, which contrasted with Taiwan's fundamental need for American protection against a hostile mainland