The Introduction of Revolutionary ‘New Books’ and Vietnamese Intellectuals in the Early 20Th Century

38 Vietnam and Korea in the longue durée. The Focus Negotiating tributary and colonial positions. The introduction of revolutionary ‘new books’ and Vietnamese intellectuals in the early 20th century Youn Dae-yeong The First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) widened the Chinese intellectuals’ vision. They realized China’s weakness in the face of Japanese military intrusions and felt the need to transform their country into a prosperous ‘modern’ nation. Chinese reformers began to develop journalism and translate numerous European and Japanese works in order to introduce their compatriots to the various fields of Western sciences and ideas. As was the case with China, and thanks to the dissemination of ‘new books’ introducing reform ideas, intellectuals in Vietnam as well as in Korea also started to look to the outside world to help them reconsider their own lands. This paper analyses the Vietnamese case where the movement was particularly effective. s Rebecca E. Karl demonstrates, featured the written correspondence the understanding by European and between a Chinese person in Indochina and AJapanese scholarship of contemporary a newspaper in Formosa; the correspondence events in countries such as Poland, the implied the desire of the Vietnamese people, Philippines, and Hawaii influenced the way particularly the Tonkinese, to expel the French Chinese thinkers thought about the future from their colonized territory. According direction of their own country.1 On that to the Chinese local correspondent, these basis, between the late 19th century and independence projects were maintained by the early 20th century, reform ideas were the introduction into Vietnam of revolutionary introduced from China to Vietnam and Korea works, many of which the Governor General through the so-called ‘new books’ (xinshu of Indochina had already seized. The Chinese 新書 in Chinese; tân thư in Vietnamese), which emigrants in France and Vietnam, in particular were the vehicle of a ‘new learning’ (tân học the Chinese communities originating from the in Vietnamese). The intellectual progress in city-port Swatow,6 played a crucial role. The respectively Vietnam and Korea was tangible revolutionary propaganda and the exaltation and comparable. However, a difference soon of political assassination could definitely appeared in the degree of distribution of have had an impact on the spirit of the ‘new learning’ in Vietnam by the revolutionary Vietnamese people. party of Sun Yatsen (孫逸仙). In Vietnam, the reform ideas and How did Vietnamese reformers and movements of the early 20th century were Chinese revolutionaries encounter each divided into two trends: the supporters of other? Did the Chinese emigrants to Indo- pacific reform and the supporters of uprising china play a role in developing a network and revolution. It is under the influence of of communications between the Chinese radical ideas that the latter proposed to resort and Vietnamese activists? Was there strong to external assistance and foment insurrection interaction between these two groups? in order to recover national independence. Finally, what was the political position of And so a revolutionary movement was the Vietnamese reformers? To answer these hatched, just as designed by the ‘new books’ questions one should explore the dissemi- originating from the party of Sun Yatsen. Little nation of revolutionary ‘new books’ into by little, a group of Vietnamese reformers Vietnamese society, via a complex web of turned to the Chinese revolutionary party agents and a path of circulation that has one that seemed capable of carrying out the task locus in Europe, and more specifically, Paris. of reorganizing Vietnam. The complex circulation Encounters between of revolutionary magazines Vietnamese reformers and into Vietnam Chinese revolutionaries From the end of February 1903, the While Korean reformers had little direct presence of the Chinese revolutionary Sun links with Chinese revolutionaries in the early Yatsen in Indochina was a great matter of 20th century, Vietnamese reformers were concern to Governor General Paul Beau actively making contact with them. The case because of the plots that the revolutionary of the famous Vietnamese revolutionary could possibly foment with the numerous leader Phan Bội Châu, the founder of the Chinese nationals residing in the colony. Đông Du (Journey to the East) political In fact, Paul Beau supposed that Sun Yatsen movement, is significant. Leaving Vietnam had a considerable influence on the secret on his way to Japan at the beginning of 1905, societies that counted among their members a Phan contacted Feng Ziyou (馮自由), one part of Indochina’s Chinese residents, as well of Sun Yatsen’s confidents, in Hong Kong. as a few Annamese.2 Jean-Louis de Lanessan, After his arrival in Japan, Phan did meet former Military Governor of French Indochina, the Chinese revolutionary leader, who had wrote on 10 July 1908: “Today, there can The first issue of Xin Shiji (新世紀/Le Siècle Nouveau/New Century). Source: AMAE (Archives du Ministère des Affaires returned from the United States and was be no doubt that there are communications Étrangères/Archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs), NS (Nouvelle Série/New Collection), vol.695, file: ‘Affaires residing in Yokohama. Phan Bội Châu also between the Annamese rebels and Chinese contentieuses. Pièces et affaires diverses’ [Contentious cases. Various documents and cases]. had numerous contacts with other Chinese reform associations.”3 As Governor General comrades. He had also been able to read Antony W. Klobukowski later also pointed out Xin Shiji was founded in Paris by a group free of charge to subscribers in the city of the revolutionary ‘new books’ translated into (1908), it is in large part from the Chinese of Chinese anarchists and revolutionaries, Hà Nội. Xin Shiji was published weekly until Chinese such as Contrat Social (The Social revolutionary literature that Vietnamese including Wu Zhihui (吳稚暉), Zhang Renji its final issue, n° 164, at the end of June 1910. Contract) by Rousseau and L’Esprit des Lois intellectuals gained their reform creed and (張人傑), and Li Shizeng (李石曾); its first issue Xin Shiji advocated the overthrow of the Qing (The Spirit of the Laws) by Montesquieu; in their new ideas.4 In fact, biographies of appeared on 22 June 1907. The newspaper Dynasty by an insurrectional movement, and his autobiography, Phan Bội Châu swore that Chinese revolutionaries as well as Chinese printed 1500 copies, which were not sold in was thus considered to be a revolutionary he had already disposed of the monarchical journals and magazines published by Sun Paris, but were shipped directly to China. magazine and an anti-Manchu and anarchist doctrines in his mind.7 In this regard, Yatsen’s party penetrated more and more into Bundles of Xin Shiji, which were distributed journal by the Chinese government, who the concerns of the Chinese and French Vietnam during the early 20th century. The clandestinely in the French colony as well as ordered post offices at all Chinese entry authorities were well-grounded: the influence magazine Xin Shiji (新世紀 La Tampoj Novaj, in the Chinese empire, also found their way ports to confiscate Xin Shiji as soon as it of Chinese emigrants in Vietnam on their local Le Siècle Nouveau, New Century) is a very into many Vietnamese villages.5 Issue n° 101 was shipped into the country. In addition to ‘comrades’, and the subsequent repercussions interesting example (fig.1). (12 June 1909) indicates that it was distributed regular papers and essays, the magazine also of the Chinese revolutionary movement The Newsletter No. 79 Spring 2018 Vietnam and Korea in the longue durée. 39 Negotiating tributary and colonial positions. The Focus Dr. Sun Yat-sen (far right) together with his Japanese friends Robert, responsible for the outpost, heard the relatively stable presence of Chinese in Tokyo, 1900. Image: Wikimedia Commons. “the bullets whistle above his head”.14 emigrants in Vietnamese society, the Moreover, after the failure of four Sino- extension of the influence of Sun Yatsen Vietnamese border uprisings between 1907 into Indochina and the dissemination of and 1908, most of the Chinese revolutionaries revolutionary ideas and movements. In had returned to Tonkin, in particular to particular, the uprisings that shook South Hà Nội. From then on, the revolutionary China in the early years of the 1900s had their campaign moved from the border to the inevitable impact on Vietnam. Unlike in Korea, inland area, and took on new forms. where the resistance against the Japanese On 27 June 1908, the first part of the was not fueled from outside ideas and groups, insurrection plot was carried out. At dinner, the territory of Indochina thus served as two French infantry companies of the the basis for the establishment of a furnace Hà Nội garrison were poisoned – and barely of revolutionary propaganda against the survived. It is an established fact that colonial government. Chinese revolutionaries were involved in this conspiracy of Vietnamese activists planning Youn Dae-yeong, Institute for East to poison the French troops. The attempted Asian Studies, Sogang University, Seoul The influence of poisoning was executed by the employees [email protected] who were working in the barracks and the Chinese emigrants in plan was to remove arms and ammunitions from the colonial forces. Immediately after Notes Vietnam could develop the French authorities discovered this criminal plot, a curfew was enforced and 1 Karl, R.E. 2002. Staging the World: into a conspiracy formed a large number of suspects were captured. Chinese Nationalism at the Turn of Because of the involvement of several Chinese the Twentieth Century. Durham: Duke by ‘agitators of the revolutionary refugees in this conspiracy, University Press. approximately one thousand of them were 2 AMAE (Archives du Ministère des Affaires two countries’. thrown in jail.15 Étrangères/Archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs), NS (Nouvelle Série/ At the time, the French authorities began New Collection), Chine, vol.

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