I mentioned earlier that Henry Kissinger was either lying about or woefully ignorant of Chinese history and implied that this was d [...]

So based on my one paragraph you have determined that I don’t know Chinese history? Well, those “agencies” as you call them, are hardly anything new. Many empires in the past established bases in foreign areas, but the simple fact that such things existed is hardly determinative of any claim of sovereignty. What exactly were they, and what degree of actual control did they have in the regions in which they were established? What modern day implications do they have for establishing modern Chinese control over these varying regions?

The Han for example, established a system of commandaries in what is now modern day northeast Asia. One such commandary, Lelang was established in what is now North Korea. It’s significance to Korean development is still very controversial. Historically it played an important role in trasmitting Han era culture to the early peoples inhabiting the Korean pennisula. But does its very existence (and later destruction) provide sufficient evidence of a claim of modern Chinese sovereignty over Korea?

What can we say of Vietnam? Although in total, a colony of various Chinese dynasties for around a 1000 years, Chinese control there was( like Anxi and the Han commandaries in northern Korea), never thoroughly established, and was periodic, punctuated by long periods of non-control, and almost constant rebellion. Likewise, despite the heavy influence and displacement of native culture, a native culture did take root which was distinct from China.

So, while on paper it appears that the Han did set up “agencies” in such areas, would one consider the Chinese presence, characterized by non-systemic, not deeply entrenchd control, indicative of a claim of modern sovereignty? How troublesome would be the universal application of a claim of sovereignty based on such infrequent periods of actual control? How much more troublesome would it be to claim sovereignty based on acts of a past government (fundamentally different from the present government)? How troublesome would it be to base such a claim on acts occuring hudnreds of years ago?

If you really take your time and read Chinese history, you know you are wrong, the Han had established long term government agencies in the far west and far south, called the Anxi (central Asia) and Annam (Vietnam).

Well, The Brits left Hong Kong a few years back, maybe that’ll get the ball rolling on all the others.

P.S. Your sarcasm did not go entirely unnoticed. I actually don’t know about the Tujia or Ruruan, I haven’t studied the region THAT far back.