GEOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE REVIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01005A000200030001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 52
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 17, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 1, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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GEOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
CIA/RR-MR-39
April 1954
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. 0
rECLASSIFIED ,
LASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NeXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTH".: R 70-11A
OATII4p- rplEVIEWER:
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
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WARNING
This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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GEOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
CIA /RR -MR -39
NOTE
With this issue, the name of the Map Intelligence Review
is changed to Geographic Intelligence Review. The publi-
cation currently includes an increasing number of articles
and notes of a geographic nature not necessarily related
to map intelligence. The new title is a more appropriate
reflection of the broader scope of information now included.
For the convenience of users, the designation MR has been
retained and the numbers will continue in the same sequence.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Research and Reports
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? CONTENTS*
transportation and Economic Development in
West China 1
Page
Administrative Divisions of Communist China--the
Central-South 17
Changes in the Delineation of the China-USSR
Boundary in the Pamir Area 29
Merger of Suiyu-an Province with the Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region 33
Maps and Mapping in China 35
The Earth Sciences in China 41
MAPS
West China; Trade Centers and Trade Routes
(CIA 12978) follows 16
Chinese Territorial Claims in the Pamir 30
*The individual classification of each article in this Review
is given at the end of the article.
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TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT IN WEST CHINA
A. The New Transportation Pattern
Recent Chinese Communist press releases emphasize the develop- '
ment of railroads and roads in the western provinces of China--
Kansu, Tsinghai, Sikang, and Szechwan. In the past Year, periodic
reports have appeared on the progress of construction on the
Lan-chou--Sinkiang and the Szechwan--Kansu railroads, as well as
numerous reports on plans for the rehabilitation or construction of
feeder roads in provinces of the Sino-Tibetan borderland. (See
accompanying map, CIA 12978.)
The long-term objectives of the construction program are (1) to
connect China Proper with Sinkiang and the USSR by the Lan-chou--
Sinkiang line and (2) to link two potential inland industrial areas by
the Szechwan--Kansu railroad. The emphasis placed on feeder roads
west of the two lines, however, directs attention to the more immediate
objective of promoting trade in the native products of Kansu, Tsinghai,
and Sikang. In addition to the more obvious desire of the Communists
to exploit the petroleum possibilities of the Ytt-i-nen oilfield, the system
of roads is designed to tap the less apparent but nevertheless important
livestock and mineral resources of the western provinces. Since the
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cowaziaiiiiiTuujie
Communist exploitation of the native products of West China seems
to be closely dependent upon the rate of railroad and road construc-
tion in this area, the progress and prospects of construction take
on considerable importance.
B. The Northwest Railroad (Lan -chou--Sinkiang)
Recent periodic reports in the Chinese Communist press have
dealt with progress in the construction of the Lan-chou--Sinkiang
railroad. These reports, together with proposed alignments shown
by recent Chinese maps and atlases, permit a general delineation
of the proposed alignment of the railroad and a preliminary evolu-
tion of construction progress, both past and future. In this report,
only the completed Lan-chou--Yung-teng section and the proposed
route from Yung-teng to Chiu-ch'u-an in Kansu Province are considered.
Terrain characteristics along the proposed route of the
Lan-chou--Sinkiang railroad impose problems of (1) tunnel con-
struction and the stabilizing of cuts and fills in the Loess Plateau
(Lan-chou to Yung-teng), where landslides, mud flows, and unstable
boggy or marshy ground are encountered; (2) curves, grades, and
bridge and tunnel construction in the Wu Chiao Ling area north of
Yung-teng and in the divide between the Wu-wei and Etsin Gol Basins;
(3) bridging and filling in the areas of intensive cultivation and
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irrigation in the Wu-wei Basin and Kan-chou Ho valley; and (4)
line construction in areas of shifting sand and unstable salt marsh
northwest of Chang-yeh. For the most part, however, the most
serious problems of construction on the line will probably be
encountered in the section now under construction between Lan-chou
and the Wu Chiao Ling divide. Once the pass has been crossed,
construction should progress at a rate commensurate with the
supply capabilities of the Communists.
1. Alignment and Construction Problems
According to recent reports the line has been completed
and trains are operating from Lan-chou to Yung-teng. The route
from Lan-chou follows the southern bank of the Huang Ho. Near
Ho-k'ou, where the Chuang-lan Ho joins the Huang Ho from the
tiorth, the line crosses the Huang Ho and enters the valley of
the Chuang -lan Ho. From Ho-k'ou to the Wu Chiao Ling pass, the
line parallels the Northwest Highway in the Chuang-lan Ho valley.
The crests of the Wu Chiao Ling project above the thick mantle of
loess, and the valleys of the Huang Ho and the Chuang-lan Ho have
been incised into the loess. Thus, between Ho-leou and
Ching-szu-pao, the Chuang-lan Ho valley is a deep, steep-sided
loess gorge. Nearer Yung-teng, as the Chuang-lan Ho valley
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approaches the rolling surface of the Loess Plateau below the
Wu Chiao Ling range, the valley widens and its flood plain levels
out.
Gradients of the line between Ho-klou and Yung-teng are
steepest in the lowest part of the valley, 5 or 6 kilometers from
the Huang Ho bridge. Above Ching-szu-pao, gradients are generally
easier (probably less than 1 percent) as far as a point about 12
kilometers north of Yung-teng, where the ascent of the Wu Chiao
Ling begins. Two major crossings of the Chuang-lan Ho have been
mentioned in news reports on construction activity along this line.
The first is located about 4 kilometers north of Ho-k1ou and the
second, upon which work is reportedly progressing, is probably
located on the outskirts of Wu-sheng- , 15 kilometers northwest
of Yung-teng.
It is likely that construction problems on the lower part of the
Chuang-lan Ho valley were similar to those encountered in the
construction of the line through the Loess Plateau from T'ien-shui
to Lan-chou, where landslides, mud flows, and unstable boggy or
marshy ground are common.
Beyond Yung-teng, the Chuang-lan Ho valley narrows and
steepens as the entrance to Wu Chiao Ling pass is approached.
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Three miles below the pass the route crosses the river again and
begins the ascent to Wu Chiao Ling divide. For 3 miles on both
sidles of the pass gradients ranging from 5 to 10 percent will
probably be encountered, and a considerable number of cuts and
fills will be required in addition to the 900-meter tunnel reportedly
under construction.
From Wu Chia? Ling pass, the route descends the narrow gorge
of the Ta-kan Ho, in which gradients decrease to about 1 percent as
the mouth of the gorge is reached near Ku-lang. As in the upper
Chuang -lan Ho valley, construction problems in the gorge will be
complicated by its narrowness and the lack of enough space for
laying out curvatures with relatively easy gradients.
At Ku-lang the route enters the Wu-wei Basin and continues
along the alluvial fans at the base of the Nan Shan. Although grades
are generally less than 1 percent, crossing the many irrigation ditches
and streams entering the alluvial fans from the mountains to the west
will probably make necessary numerous cuts, fills, and bridges.
From Wu-wei to Yung-chiang, the route passes through some of the
most densely populated parts of the Wu-wei Basin, an area with
many small agricultural villages, local roads, irrigation ditches,
And mountain streams.
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Beyond Yung-chiang the route begins the ascent of an outlier of
the Nan Shan, which separates the Wu-wei and Etsin Gol Basins.
Grades in the main pass area, about 55 kilometers southeast of
Shan-tan, and in the descent into the Shan-tan Valley of the Etsin
Gol Basin probably nowhere exceed 2 percent.
After descending into the Shan-tan Valley, the route follows the
narrow flood plain of the Kan-chou Ho, a branch of Etsin Gol,
to Lin-tse. Although gradients in the valley are generally less than
1 percent, construction of the rail line is likely to be complicated by
the dense settlement along the numerous braided stream channels of
the narrow flood plain and by the wide dry washes of the tributary
channels, which include braided intermittent streams, gravel and
sand outwash, and possibly some dunes areas. Many bridges will
probably be needed in dry-wash areas. Northwest of Chang-yeh, the
flood plain becomes increasingly constricted by bordering sandy areas,
shifting sand dunes, and salt marshes; and the dry washes of the
tributary streams are more deeply incised. In addition to seasonal
flooding, drifting sand or unstable marsh areas are likely to
complicate problems of railroad construction.
Northwest of Lin-tse, the route leaves the Kan-chou Ho flood
plain and strikes out across the sand desert and salt marshes to
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Chiu-chittan. About 25 kilometers east of Chiu-chitian, the route
enters the alluvial fan on which the oasis of Chiu-chqtan is located.
Here the braided channels of the Pei-ta Ho have cut steep-sided
gullies with salt-swamp bottoms. Sand dunes border the gully
area on both sides, and small agricultural villages are located on
the butte-like high ground between the stream channels.
2. Future Construction Rate
As reported in the Communist press and confirmed by
other sources, construction between Lan -chouand the Wu Chiao
Ling pass has been progressing at a rate of about 1/3 mile per
day. Although the rate fulfills the target for 1953 construction,
presumably it will be drastically decelerated as engineering
problems of the pass area are encountered. Beyond the pass,
however, no difficult construction problems should be encountered
before reaching Chang-yeh, and the present rate of construction
could be maintained or increased. Between Chang-yeh and
? Chiu-chtaan construction may again be slowed down. Even if
the present construction rate is maintained, however, over
3 years will be required to reach the oilfields at Yii-men,
another 5 years to reach Ti-hua, and almost 2 1/2 years more
to reach the junction with the Turk-Sib Railroad.
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C. The Szechwan- -Kansu Railroad
In Chinese news reports the connecting rail line being built from
Chieng-tu in Szechwan Province to the Lung Hai Railroad at either
T lien-shui or Pao-chi in Kansu Province is regarded as almost as
important as the Northwest Railroad. According to reports the
line is in operation as far as Mien-yang in Szechwan Province, 118
kilometers from Chieng-tu. The Communists estimate that the
entire southern sector from Ch'eng-tu to Ltieh-yang in Shensi
Province will be completed by the summer of 1954 and that the entire
line will be finished by 1955.
1. Alignment and Construction Problems
The proposed route of the Szechwan--Kansu line can be roughly
divided into five sectors on the basis of terrain characteristics:
(1) the Chteng-tu Plain sector from Ch'eng-tu to Lo-chiang, (2.) the
Mien-yang Hills sector from Lo-chiang to Chiang-yu, (3) the
northwestern foothills sector from Chiang-yu to Chao-hua, (4) the
Ta-pa Shan sector (lower course of Chia-ling Chiang) from Chao-hua
to Ltteh-yang, and (5) the Tsinling Shan sector (upper course of
Chia-ling Chiang), including the Chia-ling Chiang--Wei Ho divide.
From Chteng-tu the line trends northeast to Lo-chiang, crossing
the alluvial fans of southeastward-flowing streams in the Chieng-tu
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Plain. Although the terrain is fairly level with grades generally
under 1 percent, the area is intensively cultivated and a great many
river and stream crossings were required;
Near Lo-chiang the line enters an area of complex, maturely
dissected hill land centering around Mien-yang in which local relief
ranges up to 600 feet, with many short steep slopes. The route
from Lo-chian.g to Mien-yang follows small tributary stream valleys
to reach the valley of the Fou River, and the railroad alignment
in this area is likely to be winding, with numerous cuts and fills
needed to avoid local short gradients of over 5 percent. Beyond
Mien-yang, the present railhead, the proposed route turns north
and follows the valley of the Fou River through the remaining area
of hill land. Whereas the more direct motor road to Chao-hua
and Kuang-yttan continues across the hills to the northeast, the
rail route makes a wide detour via Chiang-yu through the foothills
of the mountains along the northern border of Szechwan. The flood
plain of the Fou River is comparatively level, with grades probably
averaging less than 1 percent, but the river itself will have to be
crossed at many points.
At Chiang-yu the route leaves the valley of the Fou River.
Following various headstream tributaries of the Fou River,
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Pai-lung Chiang, and Chia-ling Chiang, the route winds its way to
Chao-hua through the northeasterly trending foothills of the mountains
of northwestern Szechwan. This devious route was evidently followed
to take advantage of the easier though longer gradients of the foothill
streams and thus avoid the rough, maturely dissected hill land
between Mien-yang and Kuang-ytian. Although relative relief in the
foothill ranges is up to 2,500 feet, the gradients of the valley floors
are generally less than 1 percent except near the two watersheds,
where grades may be as much as 10 percent for short distances.
Construction problems are concerned chiefly with the roadbed. The
valleys are narrow and winding, and numerous stream crossings,
cuts and fills, and probably some tunneling will be required. Major
tunneling and grading operations will probably be necessary in the
two watershed areas --one 5 kilometers northeast of Chiang-yu and
the other 50 kilometers northeast of Chiang-yu.
The route follows the main channel of the Chia-ling Chiang
northward through the Ta-pa Shan from Chao-hua in Szechwan to
Liieh-yang in Shensi Province. The Chia-ling Chiang Valley has
a very narrow floor with steep sides and is moderately winding.
Although gradients of the flood plain generally do not exceed 1 or
2 percent, it will probably be necessary to make numerous cuts,
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fills, and river crossings to eliminate sharp curves and difficult or
excessive excavation. That local difficulties of construction in the
hill lands and mountainous areas are anticipated is indicated by
reports that 89 tunnels are planned for the Mien-yang--Laeh-yang
section, 6 of which will be over 2,000 feet long. The longest tunnel
is reported to be the 5,250-foot Pa-miao-kou tunnel in Kuang-yiian
Hsien.
Beyond Liieh-yang the original proposed route turns northwest
up a branch of the Chia-ling Chiang and follows the tributary valley
into Kansu Province. Recent news reports have indicated, however,
that the line beyond Lileh-yang may be shifted to another tributary of
the Chia-ling Chiang. In this case the line would cross the Tsinling
Shan at a lower elevation and connect with the Lung Hai line at
Pao-chi. Grades along both routes are generally steeper than in
the Ta-pa Shan section, and difficulties of construction are likely to
be greater because of the narrow, constricted nature of the river
channels and would probably involve extensive cut, fill, and tunneling
operations. Along both routes the steepest gradients will be encoun-
tered near the divide southwest of Tlien-shui or Pao-chi where the
routes cross from the Chia-ling Chiang to the Wei Ho watersheds.
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2. Future Construction Rate
An examination of the terrain through which the proposed
route passes suggests that construction schedules will be increasingly
slower for successive sections of the line as the problems of line
construction become more difficult. The rate of construction from
Ch'eng-tu has been somewhat greater than on-the Lan-chou?Sinkiang
line, averaging between 1/3 and 1/2 mile per day according to
Communist press reports. The line is apparently being constructed
from the Ch'eng-tu terminus only, possibly because Szechwan is the
sole source of construction materials for this line, the North China
output of construction materials being earmarked for the Northwest
Railroad. Difficulties of construction also vary directly with the
distance from Ch'eng-tu, the most serious gradient and tunneling
problem occurring along the approaches to the divide before the Wei Ho.
This coincidence enables the relatively inexperienced Chinese
Communist construction crews to take on successively difficult
engineering problems as the construction progresses. The importance
of such experience in Chinese railroad construction is indicated by a
recent news report from Chungking stating that the initial survey work
on the Ch'eng-tu--K'un-ming railroad is being done by personnel who
participated in the survey of the Szechwan- -Kansu line. It remains to
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be seen whether the accretion of railroad-building experience will
balance the increasing difficulty of construction as the line progresses
into the mountains. Despite Communist claims, the line will probably
not reach either Tlien-shui or Pao-chi before the spring of 1956,
even if the present rate is maintained.
D. Feeder Highways
Concurrent with the construction of the two main rail lines, the
Communist press reports the increasing development of provincial
roads to serve as feeders to the railroads. Also used as feeder
highways are the present principal motor roads that link Szechwan
and Shensi between Ch'eng-tu and Sian, those that extend into the
Kansu Corridor and Tsinghai from Sian via Lan-chou, and the main
road into Sikang from Ch'erxg-tu via Ya-an and K'ang-ting. Secondary
roads are being built to connect the railroads with local commercial
centers of nomadic areas in southern Kansu, northwestern Szechwan,
and the eastern parts of Tsinghai and Sikang. Major emphasis is
being placed on the construction of roads from Lan-chou and the other
market centers of eastern Kansu to the southern Kansu and eastern
Tsinghai nomadic areas and on the repair and extension of regional
highways linking the northern and southern trade centers. Many
recent news reports have stressed progress of construction and repair
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on (1) the Lan-chou--Hsia-ho (Labrang)--Lang-mu-ssu "country
road," which provides a market route for the nomadic areas in the
Kansu-Szechwan-Tsinghai border area; (2) market roads from
Hsi-ning and Lan -chou to the local trading centers of Kuei-te,
T'ung-jen, Hsun-hua, and Kung-ho in eastern Tsinghai; and (3) the
highway extending south from Lan-chou through the important market
centers of Lin-tiao and Min-hsien to Chie g-tu.
A market road reportedly has been extended far into the inacces-
sible grazing areas of northwestern Szechwan to connect the market
centers of Li-hsien, Ma-tang, and A-pa. Communist news reports
have publicized widely a plan to provide a route through the grazing
areas of northwestern Szechwan by extending and joining the
Lan-chou- -Lang-mu-ssu and the Ch'eng-tu- -A -pa roads.
In the south, the Sikang-Yu-nnan highway has supposedly been
improved and opened for commercial traffic, and feeder routes
along the highway are reported to be under construction or completed.
The expanding network of feeder roads is evidently designed to
relieve the necessity for transporting livestock products along the
hazardous Yu--shu--Hsi-ning caravan route and to drain off
surplus products toward the newly constructed or proposed rail lines
linking market centers of the north and south.
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E. Realignment of Trade Patterns
The immediate results of the new roads and railroads will be
a realignment of the trade pattern in nomadic areas of West China
and intensified exploitation of wool, hides, and other livestock
products in heretofore isolated grazing areas. As the feeder-road
network expands and the Lan-chou--Sinkiang railroad extends further
into the Kansu Corridor, the exploitation of known reserves of
minerals such as oil and salt could be expanded. At present, salt
from the Tsaidam Basin is collected at a transshipment point at the
junction of the Hsi-ning--Ya-shu and the Tsinghai-Sinkiang roads.
Up to now the utilization of petroleum products from YU-men has
been limited by the serious lack of adequate transportation in the
Kansu Corridor. The chief bottleneck to truck transportation in the
Corridor--the Wu Chiao Ling pass --should be crossed by the
Lan-chou?Sinkiang railroad within the next year; petroleum products
are already being transferred to the railroad at the present railhead,
Yung-teng. During the next few years, as rail construction progresses
across the easier terrain of the Corridor beyond Wu Chiao Ling,
transportation problems of the Yu--men oilfields should decrease
considerably.
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Although it is unlikely that the two rail lines are being constructed
for the sole purpose of increased exploitation of native products, the
ultimate role of the lines in a new era of economic development of
the northwest may not emerge for some years to come. In the mean-
time, livestock production in West China will be encouraged, the
search for critical minerals will continue, and the lines of communi-
cations so necessary for effective control and exploitation of the land
and people of West China will be extended. (UNCLASSIFIED)
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ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF COMMUNIST CHINA--
THE CENTRAL-SOUTH
This article is one of a series of articles on the major admin-
istrative areas (ta-hsing-cheng ch'ii.) of Communist China. 1/ The
accompanying tables present in detail the administrative structure
of Central-South China.
The Central-South Administrative Area, established on
5 February 1950, comprises the six .provinces of Honan, Hunan,
Hupeh, Kiangsi, Kwangsi, and Kwangtung, with a total area of about
1,165,000 square kilometers and a population of approximately
160,000,000. Its administrative center is located in Wu-han
municipality, Hupeh Province. 2/ Although some of the six major
administrative units of Communist China--notably the Northeast
(Manchuria)--possess identifiable regional characteristics, the six
provinces of the Central-South have almost no unifying economic,
cultural, or linguistic ties. Traditionally, Honan has been con-
1. Previous articles appeared in Map Research Bulletin Nos. 10,
16, 17, and Map Intelligence Review Nos. 33 and 35.
2. For administrative purposes, the three cities of Han-K'ou
(Hankow), Wu-chlang, and Han-yang are grouped together to form
Wu-han municipality, which is directly administered by the Central-
South Administrative Committee with headquarters in Han-k'ou.
These three cities, at the junction of the Yangtze and Han Rivers,
traditionally have been known as the. HWu-han cities."
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sidered part of North China; Hunan, Hupeh, and Kiangsi are eco-
nomically tied to the Yangtze, with the twin cities of Han-k1ou and
Wu-chiang representing the commercial foci of the central Yangtze
Valley; and the Cantonese-speaking provinces of Kwangsi and
Kwangtung are economically oriented toward the Hsi Chiang (West
River), with Kuang-chou (Canton) a South China regional capital.
Grouping provinces of such widely differing characteristics into a
single administrative unit may have been a Communist move designed
to undermine the geographic basis for political regionalism. Chinese
provinces, particularly in the south and southwest, have tended in
the past to operate as semi-independent entities. The alliance of
the war lords controlling Kwangsi and Kwangtung, for example, long
was an obstacle to national unification during the rule of the Chinese
Nationalist Government. The delineation of the Central-South (and
possibly other regional administrative units) may, on the other hand,
have been determined by the military situation of late 1949, as all the
territory of the Central-South was under the military jurisdiction of
one Communist field commander.
Originally, Central-South China was governed by a Military-
Administrative Committee, which functioned in many respects as a
smaller edition of the central government. The far-reaching
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administrative readjustments of November 1952, 1/ however,
reduced considerably the functions and powers of the regional
administrative units, and on 22 January 1953 the Central-South
Military-Administrative Committee was replaced by a mere
"Administrative Committee."
In addition to the standard administrative units, the Chinese
Communists have created numerous so-called autonomous admin-
istrative units (tzu-chih ) in minority-inhabited areas. In
Central-South China three autonomous units have been organized at
the special district (chuan-chiii) administrative level: (1) the West
Kwangsi Chuang Autonomous District, consisting of 34 hsien and
reportedly having a population of slightly over 6,000,000, some
4,000,000 of whom are stated to be Chuang people; 21(2) the West
Hunan Miao Autonomous District, comprising 10 hsien and a
population of some 1,500,000, including some 300,000 Miao tribes -
people; and (3) the Hainan Li-Miao Autonomous District of Hainan
Island, with a population of about 270,000. Autonomous units of
lesser administrative status have been created in areas of Kwangsi
1. See Map Intelligence Review No. 36, May 1953, pp. 1-4.
2. The Chuang are a Tai-speaking people who culturally resemble
the Chinese.
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and Kwangtung where fewer minority peoples are concentrated. I/
The actual autonomy exercised by a so-called autonomous people's
government is slight; each autonomous unit is part of and subordi-
nated to the Chinese administrative system. The Chinese Communists
have sought, through intensive political indoctrination, to eradicate
the traditional dislike of the Chinese by non-Chinese groups and, under
the guise of granting "autonomy," to control more closely and
effectively minority-inhabited areas.
The strengthening and tightening of Chinese Communist control
since 1951 has prompted a reduction in the number of special districts
and their replacement in some provinces by a new type of admin-
istrative unit. Theoretically,these changes will promote govern-
mental economy and efficiency of administration. Further modifi-
cations may be expected at subprovincial administrative levels.
Between early 1951 and June 1953 the number of special districts in
Communist China declined from 201 to 145; in the Central-South a
reduction from 58 to 41 (including comparable administrative units)
has occurred. In early 1953, five "administrative districts"
(hsing-cheng cilia) were established to replace special districts--4
I. Map CIA 12667, available in the CIA Map Library, locates
most of the autonomous administrative units of Communist China.
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in Kwangtung and 1 in southern Hunan. The Island of Hainan, which
is administratively part of Kwangtung, previously had been organized
as the Hainan Administrative District and its status apparently remains
unchanged. Press releases from Hong Kong have speculated that the
new administrative districts will have less authority than the special
districts and that hsien officials will be more closely supervised by
provincial authorities.
Information from Chinese-Communist sources suggests that
special urban administrative units, possibly analogous to the so-
called workers' settlements of the Soviet Union, have been estab-
lished. 1/ A 1951 directive of the Kwangtung Provincial Government
provided for the creation of chen (literally, market town) in local-
ities where the population exceeds 2, 000 and more than 60 percent
of the workers are engaged in nonagricultural activities. 2/ These
standards are very similar to criteria used in establishing a workers'
settlement in the USSR. According to the 1953 People's Handbook,
1. A workers' settlement (rabochiy poselok) in the USSR often
is created in conjunction with the opening of a new mine or the
establishment of a new industry.
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of a total of 16 chen in all China, 4 are located in Central-South
China, all in Honan. Administratively, the chen are directly
governed by the hsien. Recent information (August 1953) contained
in a Chinese Communist atlas indicates that the 4 chen in Honan
have been changed in status to municipalities governed by a special
district. Whether these chen are similar to workers' settlements
and whether the criteria cited in the 1951 Kwangtung directive have
been used in their establishment has not been ascertained. The
Chinese Communist use of the term chen for various types of
administrative units is indicated by a New China News Agency report
of April 1953, which stated that six fishermen 's areas (or chen)"
had been established in coastal areas of Kwangtung "with a view to
strengthening the leadership of the fishermen . . . and developing
fishery production." 1/ In this case fishing villages are adminis-
tered separately from hsien, apparently in order to facilitate closer
supervision of the fishing industry and thus increase production. A
September 1953 report states that some 56 "fishermen's areas" have
been organized in. Kwangtung. 2/
25X1A
Z. FBIS, Far East, 10 September 1953, p. AAA-8.
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The basic source for Communist administrative data is
Jen-min Shou-ts'e (People's Handbook), published by Ta Kung Pao,
Tientsin, 1 July 1953. Chinese Communist maps, press releases,
and radio broadcasts supplement the handbook. (UNCLASSIFIED)
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CENTRAL-SOUTH ADMINISTRATIVE AREA
Capital: Wu-han
Shih (municipality) under administration of the Administrative
Committee:
Chuan Chqi 1/
Wu-han and Kuang-chou (Canton)
HONAN PROVINCE
under
Capital: Ktai -feng
Number of Hsien
Shih (Municipality)
(Special District)
(Counties)
Province
Special District
Hsu-ch'ang
16
Chou-k1ou
Hsia-chiang
T la-ho
Nan-yang
12
Nan-yang
Hsin-yang
17
Chu-ma -ti en
Hsin -yang
Cheng-chou 2
16
Cheng-chou
K'ai-feng
Shang -ch'iu
15
Shang-ch'iu
Lo -yang
15
Lo -yang
Hsin-hsiang 3,4/
13
Hsin-hsiang
An-yang
6
An-yang
Ptii-yang
7
Total 9
117
4
8
1. The chuan-shu (special office) or administrative center
has the same name as the chuan ch'il in which it is located unless
otherwise specified.
2. Administrative center at Jung-yang.
3. Administrative center at Chiao-tso.
4. Also contains the special mining district (kung-k'uang cilia) of
Chiao-tso, which is presumably under the jurisdiction of the special
district.
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HUNAN PROVINCE
Capital: Ch'ang-sha
Chun Chia Number of Hsien
Shih (Municipality) under
(Special District)
(Counties)
Province Special District
Hsiang-t'an
12
Ch'ang-sha
Chu-chou
Hsiang-t'an
Ch'ang-te
14
Ch'ang-te
I -yang
Shao-yang 1/
12
Shao-yang
Chlien-yang
12
Hung -chiang
Hsing-cheng 2/
(Administrative District)
South Hunan 3/
26
Heng-yang
Tzu-chi
(Autonomous District)
West Hunan Miao 4/
10
Total 6
86
2
6
1. Also contains the mining district of Hsi-k'uang-shan.
2. Administratively comparable to a special district..
3. Administrative center at Heng-yang.
4. Administratively at special-district level; administrative
center at Chi-shou (Suo-li).
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HUPEH PROVINCE
Capital: Wu-chtang
Chuan Number of Hsien Shih (Municipality) Under
(Special District) (Counties) Province Special District
Huang-kang 14 Huang- shih
Hs iao -kan 16
Chin -chou 1/ 13 Sha-shih
I-ch'ang 9 I-chiang
Hsiang-yang 15 Hsiang-fan
En-shih 8
Total 6 75 3 1
1. Administrative center at Chiang-ling.
KIANGSI PROVINCE
Capital: Nan-chiang
17 Nan-ch'ang
Nan-chtang
Shang -jao
16 Chiang-te-chen
Shang -jao
Fu-chou 1/ 10
Chiu-chiang 2/ 10 Chiu-chiang
Kan-chou 17 Kan-chou
Chi-an 12 Chi-an
Total 6
82 1 5
1. Administrative center at Lin-chtian.
Z. Also contains the Lu-shan (tPe-pieh chi) or special district.
The rendering of tle-pieh chtil as "special district" does not indicate
that it is similar in function to a chuan
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KWANGTUNG PROVINCE
Capital: Kuang-chou (Canton)
Hsing-cheng-Ch'ii. Number of Hsien
(Administrative District) 1/ (Counties)
Shih (Municipality) under
Province Special District
Central Kwangtung 2/
25
Hsin-hui
Fo-shan
(Kongmoon)
East Kwangtung 3/
21
Shan-tiou
(Swatow)
West Kwangtung 4/
15.
Chan-chiang
North Kwangtung 5/
17
Shao-kuan
Hainan 6/
18
Hai -k'ou
Tzu-chi Chi
(Autonomous District)
Hainan Li-Miao 7/ 5 8/
Total 6 96 4 2
1. Administratively comparable to a special district.
2. Administrative center at Chiang-men.
3. Administrative center at Ch'ao-an.
4. Administrative center at Chan-chiang.
5. Administrative center at Shao-kuan.
6. Administrative center at Hai-k'ou.
7. Administrative center at Lo-tung.
8. Jointly administered by the Hainan Administrative Office. See
footnote 3, page 28.
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Chuan
(Special District)
KWANGSI PROVINCE
Capital: Nan-ning
Number of Hsien
(Counties)
Yung -fling 14
I-shan 14
Pai -se 12
Jung-hsien 10
Kuei -En 9
Piing-10
Ch'in-chou 1/ 7
Tzu7chi Ch'u
(Autonomous Distric t)
West Kwangsi Chuang 2 34 3/
Total 8
Shih (Municipality) under
Province
Nan -ning
Liu-chou
Wu-chou
Kuei -lin
Pei -hai
74 5
1. Administrative center at Ch'in-hsien.
2. Administrative center at Nan-ning.
3. This autonomous unit consists of hsien from several special
districts: all 12 of Pai-se; 12 from Yung-fling; 9 from I-shan; and
1 from Chin-chou. Presumably, joint administration of these 34
hsien is a temporary measure, with eventual sole jurisdiction by
the West Kwangsi Chuang Autonomous District.
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CHANGES IN THE DELINEATION OF THE
CHINA-USSR BOUNDARY IN THE PAMIR AREA
The alteration in the Sino-Soviet boundary in the Pamir area as
?shown on recently received Chinese Communist maps is the first
indication since 1950 of a shift in the cartographic treatment of China's
territorial limits. 1/ This change in policy presumably closely reflects
official Chinese Communist policy, since the maps are products of the
state-operated Ti-tiu Chiu Pan She (Map Publishing Company), which
was formed in late 1952 by the amalgamation of the Ya Kuang and other
map-publishing firms.
The China-USSR boundary in the Pamir was never agreed upon by
the Chinese, and Chinese governments past and present have vacillated
in their portrayal of the frontier on maps. The 1934 edition of the Ting
Atlas delineated the boundary as it is commonly shown on United States,
Soviet, and most other maps produced outside China. The 1948 edition
of the atlas, however, showed a portion of the eastern Tadzhik SSR
as belonging to Sinkiang Province. A period of cartographic confusion
1. See (1) map of the People's Republic of China, 1:4,200,000,
Ti-tiu Chou Pan She, July 1953 (CIA Map Library Call No. 84189);
and (2) atlas of provincial maps of the People's Republic of China,
Ti-ttu Ch'u Pan She, August 1953 (Call No. aH420, .T562).
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followed the establishment of the Communist Chinese regime in
1949. 1/ For a time the Soviet version of the boundary was por-
trayed, but by mid-1950 Chinese maps again included within China
Bownlia,y ?hown on
Chremor? M?p1
\Ss.\\\\,\\:\\ .\\??? ?
N
? C
? ?^???? Chinese. .".1.1.5
?Kaunas, y &hewn
lift., June, INS)
sat?
,,i
i
",..........3
t..... r-.
,...---
....Y.-v./0
AN C002)240 oge
xi-kkkkkok.,?
kokok.
PAKISTAN
JobrArriu end Kea T (In Oia?vfik)
'74*
CHINESE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS IN THE PAMIR
a sizable area of the eastern Tadzhik SSR. According to these maps
the boundary struck westward, following the southern boundary of
Afghanistan to about 36'30'N-71?40'E, and then northward to the
1. For a discussion of Chinese cartographic policies, see
Map Research Bulletin No. 25, May 1951, pp. 1-8.
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Ab-i-Panja, a headwater stream of the Amu Darya. By this neat
cartographic trick, the entire Wakhan Corridor was not shown as
part of Afghanistan but was "incorporated" into Sinkiang Province.
The boundary continued along the Ab-i-Panja--which marks the
Afghanistan-USSR boundary--to roughly 38?151N-71?171E. From this
point the line cut in a northeasterly direction and joined the conven-
tionally shown China-USSR boundary north of Lake Kara-Kul' at
about 39?31'N-73?43'E. By this cartographic device, some 25,000
square miles of the Soviet Union, roughly the territory of the Gorno-
Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, were miraculously added to New
China.
The boundary shown on Communist maps published since June
1953 is identical to the one described above, except that it proceeds
almost due east from the Ab-i-Panja to the conventional China-USSR
boundary south of Lake Kara-Kul' at about 38?55IN-73?40'E. Several
thousand square miles of the USSR are thus again shown as Soviet
territory. For all of the boundary described, the Chinese cartogra-
phers have had the grace to indicate that the boundary is undetermined
or indefinite.
The reasons for the cartographic turnabout are obscure.
Undoubtedly, this cartographic expansionism has not gone unnoticed
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by the Soviets, and possibly the higher Soviet echelons have been
advised as to Chinese cartographic encroachment in the Pamir.
Chinese officials, spurred on by higher authorities, may have
begrudgingly reallocated a few thousand square miles to soothe their
Soviet brethren but intend to retain, at least cartographically, the
remainder of their Pamir claim. The change may, on the other
hand, reflect a preliminary stage of a gradual withdrawal of Chinese
claims in this area so that at some future date Soviet and Chinese
cartographers may see eye to eye. (UNCLASSIFIED)
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MERGER OF SUIY1JAN PROVINCE
WITH THE INNER MONGOLIA AUTONOMOUS REGION
The recent Peking announcement that Suiytt an Province has been
merged with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR),
effective 1 November 1953, came as no great surprise. Actions
taken in July and August 1952 had resulted in the transfer of the IMAR
capital to Kuei-sui in Suiyttan Province, the merger of the IMAR and
Suiytian military districts, and the appointment of Yttn Tse (Ulanfu)
as Governor of Suiytian concurrent with his chairmanship of the
IMAR. Separate administration of the two areas was thus largely
fictional. According to Peking, the merger was designed "to
strengthen nationality and administrative work, and fulfill the
economic construction tasks of both areas." The Chinese Communists
undoubtedly feel that they have sufficient control over Mongol lands,
safeguarded by countless cadres and detachments of the People's
Liberation Army, to permit reunion of two areas with Mongol
population. Chinese Communist propaganda mills will no doubt use
the merger as further evidence of the "benevolent" minority
policies of New China.
The inclusion of Suiyiian within the IMAR will add some
170,000 Mongols --earlier (1950-51) organized into the Ikechou and
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Ulanchap Autonomous Leagues --thereby increasing the IMAR Mongol
population to approximately 1,000,000. 1/ The addition of 2 to 3
million Chinese will bring the IMAR non-Mongol population to about
4,000,000. In an area proclaimed as an "autonomous" Mongol
region, the Mongols are actually a distinct minority. Several
hundred thousand Mongols, chiefly in Jehol, Liaosi, and Ningsia
Provinces, still remain outside the territorial limits of the IMAR.
(UNCLASSIFIED)
1. Population figures used here have been taken from recent
Chinese Communist sources. Chinese population statistics are
notoriously unreliable and, regardless of source, are estimates.
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MAPS AND MAPPING IN CHINA
A. Governmental Control of Maps and Mapping
The requirements of the new Chinese Five-Year Plan, initiated
in 19,53, have given considerable impetus to surveying and carto-
graphic activities in China, which had been more or less dormant
since the Communist take-over in 1949. Nothing is known concerning
the setup or activities of any Chinese Communist governmental
mapping organization comparable to the Nationalist Department of
Survey, but recently announced topographic, geologic, and geo-
graphic surveying undertaken in conjunction with the inventory of
China's natural resources indicates that recent governmental
mapping activities may be divided among several major ministries,
especially the Ministries of Geology, Water Conservation, Forestry,
Agriculture, and Railways, and probably Heavy Industry. "Private
mapping" as applied to China is a misnomer, since all such mapping
that would be undertaken by the various scientific institutes (see
"The Earth Sciences in China", p. 34 ff.) is under the control of
the various ministries and the export of scientific periodicals and
maps has been strictly banned by the government.
It is believed that the Communists are also slowly extending
controls on the export of publications from commercial cartographic
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publishing firms in China. According to a notice in the catalog of
the Chung-kou Kou Shu Company of Shanghai, all cartographic
publishing firms in China have been "amalgamated- in response to
the call to raise the quality of publications and avoid duplication."
The state monopoly formed by the consolidation--the Ti-Tiu
Ch'u Pan She (Map Publishing Co.)--has its headquarters in Shanghai.
This organization has taken over all the stocks of privately owned
map-publishing houses. 1/ Recent catalogs listing new publications
of the monopoly also include items from the stocks of defunct
companies or reprints of materials originally published by them.
B. Recent Maps and Atlases
The most recent publications of the new government publishing
monopoly are its Great Map of the Chinese People's Republic,
1. Twelve of the cartographic publishing companies are: (1) Great
China (Ta Chung Kou) Book Co. (Map Department), Shanghai; (2)
Yu Kuang Geographical Society, Shanghai; (3) Continental (Ta Lu)
Geographic Society, Shanghai; (4) Popular (Ta Chung) Geographic
Society, Shanghai; (5) World Geographic Society (Map Department),
Shanghai; (6) Ya Hain Geographic Society, Wuchang; (7) Oriental
(Tung Fang) Geographic Society (Map Department), Shanghai; (8)
Kou Kuang Geographic Society, Shanghai; (9) Hwa Hsia Historical
and Geographic Society, Shanghai; (10) Hsin Chung Geographic
Society, Shanghai; (11) Chen Chtiu ("Shake the World") Geographic
Society, Shanghai; and (12) Renaissance (Fu Hsing) Geographic
Society, Peiping. Most of the cartographic publications exported
from China in the last few years have been from the first two firms
listed.
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July 1953 edition; the Provincial Atlas of the Chinese People's
Republic, August 1953 edition; and the New China Provincial Atlas,
June 1953 edition. All of the Maps are revisions or reprints of
maps published by companies that are now defunct. New publications
of the government monopoly concerning non-Chinese areas are its
recent Chao-hsien Ti-hsing Ta Kua (Physical Map of Korea) and
an administrative Map of the Mongolian People's Republic.
Prior to their consolidation into the state monopoly, Ya Kuang
Geographic Society, Ta Jung Kou Book Company, and other
cartographic publishers exported a variety of cartographic materials,
ranging from the large map of Greater China (still the standard
export map) to a number of individual-province and administrative-
district maps at various scales.
1. Great Map of the Chinese People's Republic
The recent edition of the Jung Hua Jen Min Kung Ho Ta Ti
T'u (Great Map of the Chinese People's Republic), 1:4,200,000,
published in July 1953 by the Ti T Chou Pan She, is probably a
revision of the earlier Yu Kuang maps. It is now available for
reference at the CIA Map Library. The map shows administrative
divisions, hydrography, transportation, and populated places, but
it is most useful for determining the alignment of new rail lines
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and roads proposed by the Communist regime. In its successive
editions, the map can also be used to follow province boundary
changes in the recent reshuffling of Chinese provinces. Flood-
control projects are indicated, although more detailed information
is available in the Provincial Atlas discussed below. Map insets
show administrative regions at the time of publication, islands in
the South China Sea claimed by the Chinese, and highly generalized
hypsography.
2. Provincial Atlas of the Chinese People's Republic
Another revision issued by the Ti-t'u Ch'u-pan She is the
Chung-hua Jen-min Kung-ho Kou Fen Sheng Ti-t'u (Provincial
Atlas of the Chinese People's Republic), 4th edition, August 1953
(CIA Map Library Call No. aH410 .T561, 1953). In addition to 27
maps showing hypsography, hydrography, transportation, and
populated places for Greater China, the atlas contains 20 plates
of maps at scales varying from 1:250,000 to 1:50,000,000. Half of
the plates are devoted to maps of physical geographic conditions
(topography, climate, soils, etc.) and maps of agriculture, forestry,
and fisheries. The remaining 10 plates include maps of various
economic and industrial activities, transportation, population, and
administration.
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The atlas, in its many successive editions since the Communists
assumed power in 1949, is most useful as a published statement of
economic activities of the Communists. Especially interesting are the
maps showing areas of afforestation and shelter-belt planting, those
giving detail of flood-control and water-conservancy schemes, and
the inset maps indicating concentrations of industrial and economic
activity by type. The province maps can also be used to follow
developments in the rail and road network of China.
3. New China Provincial Atlas
The Hsin Chung-kou Fen Sheng Till (New China Provincial
Atlas), June 1953 edition, is of both geographic and economic
? interest (CIA Map Library Call No. aH420 .T563 1953). This small
paperbound atlas, evidently designed for intermediate school use,
nevertheless contains the only land-use maps of China published by
the Chinese Communists since their ascendency to power in 1949.
The major part of the atlas consists of maps of the 18 provinces of
China Proper plus Taiwan, Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, Sikang,
Tsinghai, Tibet, and Sinkiang. Each of these monochrome maps
includes hydrography, populated places, roads, railroads, and a
hachure rendering of terrain that is almost meaningless. Locations,
indicated by Chinese characters, are given for 15 kinds of ore
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deposits or workings, 16 types of nonmetallic mineral deposits, and
2 kinds of semiprecious-stone mines. Horse- and sheep-raising
areas and fishing grounds are located in the same manner. Even
more interesting are the small generalized insets on each map that
show the distribution of over 26 types of food and industrial crops.
Spot checks of these maps with the distributions shown in Buck's
Land Utilization of China indicate that the insets are not mere copies.
Furthermore, Buck's map is more restricted, including only the
18 provinces of China Proper. All of the remaining maps in the atlas
cover greater China--a polychrome hypsometric map, two climatic
maps, a map showing density of population, and the often-published
map of the Hwai Ho water -conservancy projects.
The current edition is published by the Ti-tiu Ch'u Pan She,
evidently from plates of an earlier edition (October 1952) issued by
the Popular (Ta Chung) Geographic Society of Shanghai, one of the
publishers absorbed into the government publishing monopoly. The
main differences between the two editions are changes in the shapes
and boundaries of provinces and a slightly confusing variation
possible only in an ideographic language?on the older edition the
title is printed from right to left, whereas the recent one reads from
left to right. (UNCLASSIFIED)
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THE EARTH SCIENCES IN CHINA
The development of heavy industry is the main goal of China's
first Five-Year Plan. According to the China News Service, China
will build a series of new major enterprises, a number of factories
for light industries and several thousand kilometers of railway during
the next five years. The inventory of China's natural resources is
a prerequisite to this development, and continued mobilization of
China's scientific personnel, especially in the earth sciences, can
be expected as the capital construction gets under way.
Governmental organization of the earth sciences in China began
during the 11 years following the inauguration of the Kuomintang
Government in 1928. In that year the Nationalists founded the Academia
Sinica, which eventually included 14 research institutes. In the fall
of 1949 the Chinese Communists formed a new Academy of Sciences
and organized it into 17 and later 28 new research institutes. To
fulfill its mission to develop the natural sciences for the services of
industrial, agricultural, and national defense construction, the
Academy is responsible for supervising and organizing scientists
and scientific societies, training "scientific cadres, " controlling
publications and translations, and popularizing Chinese Communist
science.
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Among the foremost societies dedicated to the earth sciences
are the China Society of Geology, with satellite societies of geophysics,
palaeontology, and oceanography and limnology; the China Society of
Geography, with its associate, the China Society of Meteorology;
and the China Society of Pedology. In fields related to the earth
sciences are smaller societies for civil engineering (surveying),
forestry, agriculture, animal husbandry, and horticulture. Most of
the organizations have branches in the major cities and publish
periodicals. The China Society of Geology, for example, has
branches in Peking, Nanking, Sian, Chungking, K'un-ming,
Canton, and Ch'ang-ch'un and publishes the Journal of Geology.
The China Society of Geography, which was formed by the amalgam-
ation of two older societies in 1950, has branches in 14 cities and
published the biannual Geography Journal and a monthly educational
magazine, Geographical, Knowledge. The China Society of Pedology,
with nearly 300 members, has branches in 8 major cities and publishes
the Journal of Pedology.
Activities of the societies and their member scientists are con-
trolled by the government ministries responsible for the economic
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development of China. The main ministries are those of Geology,
Heavy Industry, Fuel Industry, Agriculture, Forestry, Water
Conservancy, and Railways.
While scientific activity in China since 1949 has stressed the
reorganization of scientific organizations and the reorientation of
scientific workers toward their work in the new society, particular
emphasis has been given to the development of geology, meteorology,
pedology, geophysical survey, industrial chemistry, and metallurgy.
Early in 1953, for example, the Communists reported the initiation of
a nationwide field survey by 10,000 people of natural resources in the
fields of botany, zoology, hydrobiology, water conservation, pedology,
and other sciences. Probably as part of this survey, geologists
reportedly have been sent to Tibet to scout for minerals, and botanists
and soil specialists are said to have investigated the problems of
shelter belts, the reclamation of wastelands, and soil and water
conservation. A systematic survey of the flora of eastern China,
particularly Hopeh Province, has been instituted in an effort to locate
plants suitable for the production of rubber and tanning materials.
Geologists have been surveying the coal fields of northern and north-
eastern China, while meteorologists have been investigating the ways
and means of improving weather forecasts and analyses.
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Geographers are being utilized in a number of ways during the
first year of China's Five-Year Plan. In addition to participating in
the nationwide survey of natural resources, geographers are report-
edly investigating problems of water conservation and of irrigation
and flood control of the Hwai Ho and the Yl River. Studies are also
being made of shifts in the course of the Huang Ho and the sources
of silt. During the past 3 years, according to the New China News
Agency in Peking, geographers have collaborated with the Ministry
of Railways on projects relating to 4 rail routes in the Southwest
District and 3 in the Northwest, and 1 in Inner Mongolia. Studies in
economic geography have dealt with the volume of freight for projected
rail lines in relation to their impact on the development of these
areas. Geographers have also participated in surveys of wasteland
in the northeast, reclamation projects in southern China, and forest
shelter belts in northern Shensi. Urban geographers have been
considering the problem of the relationships of larger cities to their
hinterlands, with a view to assisting in the selection of factory and
industrial sites and in city planning.
Forestry survey teams also have reportedly been increased in
an effort to determine the extent of the timberlands, volume of timber,
possible locations for afforestation, and areas for future shelter-
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belt planting. The major forest areas surveyed in the past 3 years
are in western Manchuria and Chahar, in the Pai -lung Chiang area of
southern Kansu, and south of the Yangtze River.
The present emphasis on surveying and the future division of
scientific labor are indicated by work allocations for the Ministry of
Geology determined at the National Geological Work and Planning
Conference in 1953. Of the total strength of the ministry, it is claimed
that 60 percent will be used to guarantee the completion of surveying
at key points for nonferrous metals, blacic metals, and coal and to
furnish data on mineral deposits as required by the Government to guide
the planning of related industries; and that 16 percent will be used
for general checkups at key points to discover additional mineral
deposits for "key-point meticulous surveys" to be carried out in 1954.
An effort will also be made to complete the engineering aspect of the
geologic work and to intensify geologic education with a view to
training a large number of technical experts. The "key points" for
both "general" and "meticulous" surveys appear to be concentrated
in the An-shan--Fu-shun--Pen-ch'i area in the districts of Northeast
(Manchuria), North, Central-South, and particularly in the hereto-
fore unexplored areas of Northwest and Southwest China. The
emphasis on the undeveloped provinces of western China from
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Yunnan to Ningsia is in line with the importance of the area suggested
by the current development of transportation in West China (see
"Transportation and Economic Development in West China,"
pp. 1-16).
Although the results of the extensive current activity in the
various fields of earth science are unlikely to become available
outside of China, the continued production of topographic, geologic,
geographic, and other earth-science maps and studies increases the
probability that the entire cartographic situation in China is changing
radically. (UNCLASSIFIED)
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