{"id":20112,"date":"2026-07-13T08:30:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T02:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=20112"},"modified":"2026-07-13T08:30:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T02:45:29","slug":"bs7h-radio-expeditions-seen-as-historical-evidence-of-chinas-sovereignty-over-huangyan-dao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=20112","title":{"rendered":"BS7H Radio Expeditions Seen as Historical Evidence of China\u2019s Sovereignty over Huangyan Dao<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dragon Media News Desk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Historical records connected to international amateur radio expeditions to Huangyan Dao, official permits issued by Chinese authorities and the BS7H call sign provide further evidence supporting China\u2019s sovereignty over the island, according to Chinese officials and experts.<\/p>\n

A recent internal exhibition at the Beijing Radio Monitoring Station of the State Radio Monitoring Center displayed a photocopy of a letter written in 1990 by Bienvenido Tan Jr, then Philippine ambassador to Germany, along with an original copy of Official Map No. 25 published by the Philippines in 1994.<\/p>\n

The letter stated that, according to the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, Scarborough Reef, known in China as Huangyan Dao, did not fall within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines.<\/p>\n

Official Map No. 25 also marked the western boundary of Philippine territory along the 118-degree east longitude line, while the geographical coordinates of Huangyan Dao lay outside that boundary, according to the Chinese account.<\/p>\n

Curators of the exhibition said the two documents represented only a small part of a broader body of historical evidence supporting China\u2019s sovereignty over Huangyan Dao.<\/p>\n

The materials were collected during an international collaboration among amateur radio operators spanning more than two decades and involving a series of activities known as DX-peditions.<\/p>\n

A DX-pedition involves amateur radio operators travelling to remote or rarely visited locations, establishing temporary radio stations and making long-distance contacts with operators around the world.<\/p>\n

One of the World\u2019s Most Sought-After Radio Destinations<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Chen Ping, former secretary-general of the Chinese Radio Sports Association and a direct participant in the Huangyan Dao expeditions, the island was once among the most sought-after entities in the international amateur radio community.<\/p>\n

The American Radio Relay League established the DXCC, or Distant Exchange, award programme in the 1930s to encourage amateur radio operators worldwide to improve their ability to establish long-distance communications.<\/p>\n

Following China\u2019s reform and opening-up, amateur radio services were gradually opened to members of the public. Because no permanent amateur radio stations had operated for decades on islands in the South China Sea, Huangyan Dao became a rare and highly valued destination for international radio operators.<\/p>\n

In 1990, a German amateur radio operator named Dieter planned to establish a temporary radio station on Huangyan Dao. To clarify the question of sovereignty, he wrote to the Philippine ambassador to Germany.<\/p>\n

In his official reply, Ambassador Tan stated that Huangyan Dao lay outside Philippine territorial sovereignty.<\/p>\n

According to the Chinese account, the clarification demonstrated to the international amateur radio community that permission from the Chinese government was required before landing on the island and installing a radio station there.<\/p>\n

Around 1994, Finnish amateur radio operator Martti Laine and Japanese operator Kan Mizoguchi began preparing an expedition to Huangyan Dao.<\/p>\n

Both were prominent members of the international amateur radio community and ranked highly on the DXCC Honour Roll.<\/p>\n

After they travelled to Beijing and presented their proposal, Chinese authorities approved the project.<\/p>\n

An integrated team of Chinese and foreign radio operators was formed, with the Chinese participants taking primary responsibility for securing landing permits, radio licences and other official authorisations.<\/p>\n

BS7H: Huangyan Dao\u2019s Radio Identity<\/strong><\/p>\n

After two months of preparation, Chen Ping and seven other radio operators from China, Germany, the Philippines, Japan, the United States and Finland departed for Huangyan Dao aboard a civilian vessel in June 1994.<\/p>\n

They carried official documents and licences issued by Chinese authorities authorising them to land on the island and install radio equipment.<\/p>\n

Because large vessels could not enter the shallow lagoon enclosed by Huangyan Dao\u2019s reef formation, the team transferred to motorboats to reach the rocky outcrops.<\/p>\n

They erected support structures, assembled radio equipment and began round-the-clock communications with amateur radio operators around the world.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s national radio regulatory authority assigned the call sign BS7H to the amateur radio station established on Huangyan Dao.<\/p>\n

According to Chen, \u201cB\u201d represents China, \u201cS\u201d designates a special station operating in the South China Sea, \u201c7\u201d refers to China\u2019s seventh radio zone and \u201cH\u201d represents Huangyan Dao.<\/p>\n

Under international practice, amateur radio call signs must be authorised by the relevant national government and may be operated only within the territorial jurisdiction of the issuing country.<\/p>\n

Chen said BS7H was designated exclusively for use on Huangyan Dao.<\/p>\n

Following the first expedition, however, the American Radio Relay League declined to immediately recognise Huangyan Dao as an official DXCC entity because some of the supporting radio structures had been positioned in seawater.<\/p>\n

Under DXCC rules, the radio station had to be established on land that remained above water even during high tide.<\/p>\n

During the second expedition in 1995, the team took particular care to install all radio equipment on dry rock outcrops.<\/p>\n

One of the rocks used by the Chinese participants contained a scientific survey monument jointly erected by China\u2019s State Oceanic Administration, State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping and State Seismological Bureau.<\/p>\n

The team used the monument as an anchor for its antenna. A photograph of the installation later became an important historical image associated with Chinese administration on Huangyan Dao.<\/p>\n

Following a detailed review, the American Radio Relay League formally recognised Huangyan Dao as a separate DXCC entity.<\/p>\n

More Than 60,000 Contacts During Four Expeditions<\/strong><\/p>\n

A third expedition was organised in 1997, with a larger number of young Chinese amateur radio operators taking part.<\/p>\n

Chen later led the fourth and final expedition to Huangyan Dao in 2007. Amateur radio operators from China\u2019s Taiwan region also volunteered to participate in the mission.<\/p>\n

Across the four expeditions, the BS7H station completed more than 60,000 valid contacts with approximately 20,000 amateur radio stations worldwide.<\/p>\n

According to Chen, about 2,000 contacts were completed during the first expedition, more than 3,000 during the second, over 13,000 during the third and more than 45,000 during the fourth.<\/p>\n

He said the records represented not only technical achievements in amateur radio communications but also evidence that Huangyan Dao is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.<\/p>\n

American and Philippine Records Examined<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the process of obtaining DXCC recognition for Huangyan Dao under the BS7H call sign, the American Radio Relay League requested documentary evidence concerning the island\u2019s territorial status.<\/p>\n

Tim Totten, an American member of the expedition team, collected historical documents in the United States and prepared a formal academic paper.<\/p>\n

The paper examined several international legal instruments, including the 1898 Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain, the 1900 Treaty of Washington and the 1930 Convention between the United States and Britain.<\/p>\n

During the certification process, ARRL official Bill Kennamer also wrote to the Philippine Amateur Radio Association in 1994 seeking its formal position.<\/p>\n

According to the Chinese account, the Philippine association replied after consulting the relevant government authorities and confirmed that Huangyan Dao did not lie within Philippine territory.<\/p>\n

The response included certification from the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority and a copy of Official Map No. 25.<\/p>\n

The American Radio Relay League later approved Huangyan Dao as a new DXCC entity under the Chinese call sign BS7H, which had been assigned by China\u2019s state radio authorities within the prefix allocation framework of the International Telecommunication Union.<\/p>\n

Chen said copies of the relevant documents had been provided at the time to Chinese authorities and the American Radio Relay League.<\/p>\n

Although some original fax copies had deteriorated over the years, he said complete duplicate records had been preserved and were sufficient to demonstrate their authenticity.<\/p>\n

Responding to recent Philippine questions concerning the documents, Chen said the Philippine Amateur Radio Association had verified the matter with its government, endorsed the expedition and supported the participation of two Filipino amateur radio operators in the 1994 mission.<\/p>\n

He said the documents had been collected and shared by an international team, including participants from the Philippines.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it was applying to travel to Huangyan Dao or later corroborating the exclusivity of China\u2019s sovereignty, the process of collecting materials was entirely natural,\u201d Chen recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone performed their respective roles and cooperated with one another. Even when occasional disagreements arose, we always sought common ground while reserving differences, working together toward the shared goal of fulfilling amateur radio communication needs and advancing technical progress.\u201d
\n
\nExpert Criticises Philippine Actions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chen Xidi, an assistant researcher at the China Institute for Marine Affairs under the Ministry of Natural Resources, said the Huangyan Dao radio expeditions were more than ordinary activities conducted by civilian enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

He described the expeditions and their accompanying records as valuable historical evidence concerning China\u2019s sovereignty over the island.<\/p>\n

According to Chen Xidi, the international recognition of the BS7H call sign reflected acknowledgement within the global amateur radio community of Huangyan Dao\u2019s connection to China.<\/p>\n

He said this recognition was reflected not only in legal and technical procedures but also across social, political and cultural dimensions.<\/p>\n

Chen Xidi accused the Philippines of repeatedly politicising South China Sea issues over the past decade.<\/p>\n

He said the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr had frequently stirred nationalist sentiment in an attempt to divert attention from domestic political and economic weaknesses.<\/p>\n

He also argued that the Philippine government had moved closer to the United States diplomatically in an effort to demonstrate its strategic value in regional geopolitics and attract greater American resources and support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sovereignty over Huangyan Dao is self-evident,\u201d he said, adding that the older generation of amateur radio operators had demonstrated remarkable commitment and conviction.<\/p>\n

Now in his 80s, Chen Ping said his long experience in amateur radio had taught him that isolated efforts rarely produce meaningful achievements.<\/p>\n

He argued that the same principle should apply to current South China Sea issues, with mutually beneficial cooperation representing the appropriate direction for the future.<\/p>\n

According to Chen, unilateral Philippine actions not only undermine peace, stability and development in the South China Sea region but could ultimately produce adverse consequences for the Philippines itself.<\/p>\n

Chinese amateur radio enthusiasts represented by Chen Ping continue to hope that another DX-pedition will eventually be launched to Huangyan Dao, allowing BS7H, a call sign carrying what they regard as sovereign significance, to once again be transmitted from the island.<\/p>\n

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