China Yearbook Collection 1960–1970 (RARE, 9-Volume Set) 🇨🇳📜🏛️

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a rare and significant seven-volume set of the China Yearbook, spanning the pivotal years from 1971 to 1978. Published in Taipei, Taiwan, this collection is an unparalleled primary source on the Republic of China (ROC) and a powerful artifact of the Cold War.

The set’s value lies in its status as a foundational document for understanding the official perspective of a government navigating a tumultuous global landscape.

The books provide a comprehensive, year-by-year narrative that is crucial for researchers, policymakers, and historians.

2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

The China Yearbook, formerly known as the China Handbook, was compiled by the China Yearbook Editorial Board, a collective of scholars and officials from the Republic of China government.

Each volume provides a comprehensive and official overview of the ROC's political, economic, military, and social status. The books meticulously document everything from government structure and foreign relations to cultural life and biographical sketches of key figures.

This complete, consecutive set offers an invaluable narrative that is crucial for understanding a nation's official history. The inclusion of fold-out maps and official records elevates them to a museum-grade collectible.

3. About the Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

The China Yearbook was produced by the China Yearbook Editorial Board, a collective of scholars and officials from the ROC government. The board's work was a collective effort to produce a consistent, detailed, and authoritative annual record.

The books were published by the China Publishing Company, a key institution in Taiwan. The collection contains a stamped provenance from the Ford Lio Ho Motor Company, which adds a unique layer to the story.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

This collection covers a pivotal and tumultuous period for the Republic of China. The years between 1971 and 1978 were marked by significant international shifts, including the ROC's loss of its UN seat in 1971 and the normalization of relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China in 1972.

On the mainland, the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 and the end of the Cultural Revolution marked a dramatic shift in China's trajectory.

The yearbooks from this period are therefore a unique record of a government under immense diplomatic pressure. They document the ROC's efforts to maintain its political and economic stability, its foreign relations, and its cultural identity in the face of this isolation. These volumes provide a crucial historical perspective on a nation that was navigating a rapidly changing and often hostile global landscape.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This set is a curated acquisition for a specific class of collector who prizes unique provenance and the direct history of an item. The ideal purchaser is a curator of East Asian history, geopolitics, or Cold War artifacts. This is an item for a collector who seeks to own a tangible piece of a historical narrative, connecting them directly to a government's struggle for its place in the world.

The stamped provenance from the Ford Lio Ho Motor Company adds a new layer to the story.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This seven-volume set is a genuinely rare find due to its specific historical context and its completion as a consecutive set. The yearbooks from this period are exceptionally scarce, as they were often destroyed or lost due to political upheavals. The set's value is overwhelmingly driven by its status as a primary source document from the ROC government during a period of immense diplomatic isolation.

This is a non-replicable asset, holding value that far exceeds that of a single volume.

The price is a direct reflection of its scarcity and its documented place in geopolitical history. Finding a complete, consecutive set in this condition is a significant challenge.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This seven-volume set is a genuine and handsome survivor, showing authentic wear consistent with books from the late 20th century. The hardcover bindings show minor wear and scuffing, particularly along the spine and edges. The books come without a dust jacket. The interior is in excellent condition, with clear text, vibrant illustrations, and intact fold-out maps.

The pages show only minor expected toning and foxing, which is a natural process for paper from this period. This is an honest and transparent portrayal of a well-cared-for set that was a cherished part of a home library. 

The overall condition is truly remarkable for a set of books that is over 50 years old.

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

This collection contains three unique stamped inscriptions that provide a direct and personal connection to the item's history:

• The first inscription is a stamp on the inside front cover of one of the volumes. It reads: "WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF GOVERENMENT INFORMATION OFFICE, THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA".

• The second inscription is a stamp on the inside front cover of another volume. It reads: "Special Services Library Headquarters Support Activity Box APO San Francisco".

• There is also a stamp on the page edges that reads: "PROPERTY OF U.S. NAVY".

These inscriptions are invaluable pieces of the books' history. The Government Information Office stamp confirms the books' official, government-sourced content. The military library stamp provides a direct and tangible link to a specific military library, likely a diplomatic or informational post. This is a rare finding that directly ties the volumes to a specific moment in time and provides a tangible link to a past owner and a personal story that cannot be replicated.

9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 

• The books were published in Taipei, Taiwan, during a period of diplomatic isolation for the Republic of China. The yearbooks were a key tool in the ROC's diplomatic efforts, sent to international missions to assert Taiwan's political legitimacy.

• The years covered by this set, 1960-1970, are a pivotal period in China's history, spanning the catastrophic Great Leap Forward and the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.

• The books are an invaluable source for scholars and historians, offering a perspective on China's history that is often overlooked in other sources. The books provide a detailed, official record of a government that was fighting for its place in the world.

• The presence of a military library stamp is a rare and unique feature that adds a layer of military and diplomatic history to the set. It provides a fascinating glimpse into the political relationships of the era.

10. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: China Yearbook Collection

• Author/Maker: China Yearbook Editorial Board

• Year: 1960-1970

• Publisher/Foundry: China Publishing Company

• Place of Origin: Taipei, Taiwan

• Format/Binding: Hardcover, 9-Volume Set

• Edition: N/A (annual publication)

• Rarity: Extremely Rare as a complete, consecutive set
  

11. Key events in China-Taiwan relations, 1960–1970🇨🇳📜🏛️

• 1960: Tensions in the Taiwan Strait eased slightly as the PRC faced the disastrous famine resulting from the Great Leap Forward (1958–1962). Taiwan's leader Chiang Kai-shek, believing the mainland was weakened, developed secret plans for a military invasion, which were ultimately rejected by his American allies.
• 1961: The United States provided assurances to the PRC during ambassadorial talks in Warsaw that it would not support a Nationalist invasion of the mainland. The PRC appreciated the gesture but insisted on the U.S. abandoning support for the ROC entirely, a position the U.S. refused to take at the time.
• 1962: A brief Taiwan Strait crisis unfolded, but both the U.S. and PRC acted to prevent a full military confrontation. The PRC was dealing with domestic problems, and the U.S. sought to avoid conflict. This resulted in a temporary, silent understanding to avoid escalating tensions.
• 1963: Cross-Strait relations continued to be mediated through the U.S. during the ongoing ambassadorial talks in Warsaw. The U.S. restated its interest in a peaceful settlement to the "Taiwan question" while facing Chinese communist officials who viewed the issue as an internal matter.
• 1964: France broke diplomatic relations with the ROC in Taipei to recognize the PRC in Beijing. This was a significant diplomatic blow to Taiwan and part of a broader trend of nations recognizing the mainland's growing influence.

• 1965: Diplomatic talks with the U.S. saw PRC officials restate their historical claim to Taiwan and object to any perceived U.S. interference in what they considered an internal issue. This period solidified the PRC's "One China Principle".

• 1966: Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution, plunging the PRC into a decade of massive political and social upheaval. This internal chaos led to a dramatic decrease in military and political focus on the Taiwan Strait, keeping cross-strait tensions low.
• 1967: Amid the Cultural Revolution, ROC officials in Taiwan reiterated their position and continued to maintain authoritarian rule. They viewed the upheaval on the mainland as an opportunity but remained reliant on U.S. military support under the Mutual Defense Treaty.

• 1968: Taiwan, or the ROC, made significant investments in U.S. government securities, which highlighted its growing economic strength and its financial integration with the U.S..

• 1969: Richard Nixon took office and began pursuing rapprochement with the PRC, driven by a mutual enmity toward the Soviet Union. Chiang Kai-shek, in a meeting with Secretary of State William Rogers, expressed concern about any potential "compromise" with the PRC, believing it was doomed to fail and would only embolden the communists.
• 1970: The U.S. continued to seek a path toward normalizing relations with the PRC, with the issue of Taiwan's status being the main obstacle. Negotiations centered on the U.S. renouncing the use of force in unifying Taiwan with the mainland, an action the PRC viewed as an internal matter.

Broader context for the 1960s

• International diplomatic shift: By 1970, an increasing number of countries began questioning which government was the "real" China, leading some to shift diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
• Beginning of U.S.-China normalization: The late 1960s marked the start of the U.S. pivot towards the PRC, which would culminate in President Nixon's visit in 1972 and a major decline in international recognition for Taiwan.
• UN representation debate: While the ROC held onto its UN seat throughout the 1960s (including its position as a permanent member of the Security Council), the battle over "China's" UN representation was becoming more intense. The debate foreshadowed the ROC's eventual expulsion in 1971.