China Yearbook Collection 1971–1978 (RARE, 7-Volume Set) 🇨🇳📜🏛️

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a rare and a profoundly 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 fighting for its political survival amidst a tumultuous global landscape.

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

• The inclusion of fold-out maps and official records elevates them to a museum-grade collectible.
  

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

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.

3. About the Artist/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.

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. These events left the ROC diplomatically isolated from the global community.

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 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 volume 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 book'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 book 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 a unique fold-out map in each volume. These elements transform the collectible books into singular historical artifacts. 

• The first inscription is a stamped note on the inside front cover of one of the volumes. It reads: "With Compliments of Ford Lio Ho Motor Co., Ltd. November 1979".

• The second inscription is a title on a fold-out map. It reads: "Government Officials of the Republic of China".
  

9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 

• The years covered by this set, 1971–1978, are a pivotal period in China's history, spanning the final years of the Cultural Revolution on the mainland and the end of Mao Zedong's era.

• Taiwan's political liberalization began in the late 1960s, paving the way for its transformation into a multi-party, representative democracy.

• The 1973 oil crisis prompted the government to focus on developing heavier industries alongside existing light industries like textiles.

• The government also actively promoted science and technology, establishing the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in 1973 to drive innovation and the Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park in 1979 to foster high-tech industries.

• A nine-year compulsory education program was introduced in 1968, leading to a rise in graduates from junior high schools in the 1970s.

10. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: China Yearbook Collection

• Author/Maker: China Yearbook Editorial Board

• Year: 1971-1978

• Publisher/Foundry: China Publishing Company

• Place of Origin: Taipei, Taiwan

• Format/Binding: Hardcover, 7-Volume Set

• Edition: N/A (annual publication)

• Rarity: Extremely Rare as a complete, consecutive set

11. Key events in China-Taiwan relations, 1970–1980🇨🇳📜🏛️

• 1970: At the start of the decade, the ROC on Taiwan still enjoyed significant international recognition as the sole legitimate government of "China," largely due to U.S. influence. A harbinger of Taiwan's changing fortunes, however, occurred in April when Vice Premier Chiang Ching-kuo survived an assassination attempt by Taiwanese independence activists during a visit to New York City.
• 1971: The key event of the decade took place in October. The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, which officially expelled the ROC and admitted the PRC as the legitimate representative of China. The PRC also gained a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
• 1972: In February, U.S. President Richard Nixon made a historic visit to China, signifying a major shift in U.S. policy. The visit culminated in the signing of the Shanghai Communiqué, which laid the groundwork for future cooperation. In the document, the U.S. acknowledged the "one China" principle but did not endorse Beijing's claim over Taiwan. The U.S. also pledged to begin withdrawing military personnel from Taiwan.
• 1973: Following Nixon's visit, the U.S. and PRC opened liaison offices in each other's capitals, which served as de facto embassies.
• 1975: In April, ROC President Chiang Kai-shek, who had led the Nationalists since fleeing to Taiwan in 1949, died. He was succeeded by his son, Chiang Ching-kuo.
• 1976: Mao Zedong, the founding chairman of the People's Republic of China, died in September. His death and the subsequent arrest of the Gang of Four hardliners opened the door for political and economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping.
• 1978: On December 15, U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced the full normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. As part of the agreement, the U.S. announced it would end official diplomatic relations with Taiwan (the ROC) on January 1, 1979.
• 1979:
  • On January 1, the United States formally withdrew diplomatic recognition from the ROC on Taiwan and established full relations with the PRC.
  • In April, the U.S. Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). The TRA mandated unofficial relations with Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and pledged to provide Taiwan with defensive arms. This was done to reassure Taiwan and address congressional and public unease over the break in official ties.
  • In December, a pro-democracy protest in Kaohsiung was met with a heavy-handed response from the Kuomintang (KMT) authorities, which galvanized Taiwan's democracy movement.
• 1980: While the PRC began pursuing economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping and floated the "one country, two systems" option for Taiwan, relations remained tense. Taiwan's authoritarian government remained in place, and unofficial U.S.-Taiwan relations were governed by the Taiwan Relations Act.