ARRL DXCC ENTITY RE-EVALUATION MEMORANDUM – BY

BY — CHINA (REPUBLIC OF CHINA)
Evaluation Under 1947 ARRL DXCC Rules

I. PURPOSE

This memorandum evaluates whether BY — China qualified as an ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1947 ARRL DXCC Rules, the ruleset used to rebuild DXCC recognition following World War II.

The evaluation includes:

• China’s political status in 1947
• Sovereignty and international recognition
• Prefix assignment and administrative identity
• Geographic area encompassed by the entity
• Whether “China (BY)” satisfies the 1947 political-entity requirements for DXCC qualification

China appears on early DXCC Lists under the prefix BY, corresponding to the Republic of China’s telecommunication administration.

II. BACKGROUND

Political & Administrative Status (as of 1947)

In 1947:

• China was officially the Republic of China (ROC), a sovereign, internationally recognized nation.
• The ROC government exercised authority over:
– Mainland China
– Hainan
– Taiwan (from 1945 onward, after Japan’s surrender)
– Numerous outlying islands

• China was a founding member of the United Nations (1945) and held a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
• The ROC was recognized by:
– United States
– United Kingdom
– France
– All Allied powers from WWII
– The majority of the global diplomatic community

Geographic Characteristics

• China in 1947 encompassed a very large and contiguous landmass.
• No island-separation rules apply for the primary entity.

DXCC Prefix (BY)

• ITU and international telecommunication authorities recognized BY for China.
• BY appeared in all ARRL DXCC prefix tables as the root prefix for the Republic of China.

DXCC Historical Context

The 1947 DXCC Rules recognized:

Sovereign Nations
Colonies & protectorates
Mandates / Trust territories
Distinct political administrations
Distinct geographic islands (≥100-mile rule)

China qualified solely and unambiguously as a Political Entity.

III. ANALYSIS UNDER THE 1947 DXCC RULES

1. POLITICAL ENTITY CRITERIA (1947)

1(a) Sovereign Independent Nation — ✔ PASS

• China (Republic of China) was a fully sovereign, internationally recognized state.
• Exercised independent authority over domestic and foreign affairs.
• Not a colony, not a protectorate.

1(b) Independent Government — ✔ PASS

• The Nationalist government (ROC) had:
– Executive Yuan (executive branch)
– Legislative Yuan
– Judicial Yuan
– Army, navy, air force
– Independent ministries and national institutions

1(c) International Recognition — ✔ PASS

• China was formally recognized by all major powers.
• Held one of the five permanent Security Council seats in the UN.
• Maintained embassies worldwide.

1(d) Distinct DXCC Administrative Identity — ✔ PASS

• BY prefix was internationally allocated.
• ARRL recognized China as one of the core DXCC political entities.

Conclusion:
China satisfies all 1947 Political-Entity qualification criteria.

2. GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY CRITERIA (1947)

Not needed, but evaluated for completeness.

2(a) Above high tide — ✔ PASS

Mainland continental territory.

2(b) 100-mile island separation — N/A

Political qualification supersedes geographic rules.

2(c) Geographic unity of territory — ✔ PASS

China formed a continuous continental landmass, with no ambiguity in territorial coherence.

3. SPECIAL-AREA CRITERIA (1947) — NOT APPLICABLE

China was not:

• A UN Trust Territory
• A mandated territory
• An occupied zone (Allied occupation was of Japan, not China)

Thus, §3 does not apply.

4. 1947 DELETION CRITERIA — NOT TRIGGERED

Deletion in 1947 required:

The loss of separate political identity, and
Absorption into another entity

Neither applied.

• China was a founding UN member with a well-defined government.
• DXCC had no ambiguity regarding China’s sovereignty in 1947.

(Political changes after 1949 do not affect this 1947 evaluation.)

V. FINAL DETERMINATION

✅ BY — CHINA qualifies as an ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1947 ARRL DXCC Rules.

Qualification Basis (1947):

✔ Fully sovereign, internationally recognized state
✔ Distinct and established national government
✔ UN founding member with global diplomatic relations
✔ Independent telecommunication and prefix block (BY)
✔ Territorial integrity recognized in international law
✔ Fits the Political Entity category perfectly

Conclusion:
Under the 1947 DXCC Rules, China (Republic of China) is a textbook sovereign Political DXCC Entity, qualifying with no geographic or special-area conditions required.

VI. SUMMARY TABLE

Rule (1947)	Pass/Fail	Notes
Sovereign Country	✔ PASS	ROC universally recognized
Independent Government	✔ PASS	Full administrative apparatus
International Recognition	✔ PASS	UN founding member
Distinct Prefix	✔ PASS	BY
Geographic Criteria	N/A	Political path overrides
Deletion Criteria	Not Triggered	Sovereignty assured
Final Status	VALID ENTITY (1947)	Sovereign Political Entity

References

ARRL DXCC Rules, Post–World War II Edition (1947)
Clinton B. DeSoto, W1CBD, “How to Count Countries Worked, A New DX Scoring System,” QST, October 1935
ARRL DXCC Country Lists, late-1930s through late-1940s editions
Historical records of China’s post–World War II sovereignty and international recognition (1945–1947)
Early DXCC precedent involving sovereign states undergoing postwar political transition