The Murillo Velarde map: A relic from 1734 amid the rough seas of 2015

I HONESTLY do not understand all the noise behind the recent acquisition of Pedro Murillo Velarde’s map by Filipino businessman Mel Velarde, who still deserves to be cited for his efforts to retrieve an important document of Philippine history and a real masterpiece of 18th-century printing. It is hoped this map will soon be exhibited […]

History the Weak Link in Beijing’s Maritime Claims

Beijing’s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea are now embossed in new Chinese passports and official maps. Chinese leaders and foreign ministry spokespersons insist with increasing truculence that the islands, rocks, and reefs have been China’s “territory since ancient times.” Normally, the overlapping territorial claims to sovereignty and maritime boundaries ought to […]