Sinitic Brushtalk in Vietnam’s Anti-Colonial Struggle against France: Phan Bội Châu’s Silent Conversations with Influential Chinese and Japanese Leaders in the 1900s

Abstract

Abstract The Chronicles of Phan Sào Nam, written by Phan Bội Châu in Literary Sinitic in 1929, recorded about one hundred “silent conversations” by means of Sinitic brushtalk between Phan, the Đông Du (Go East) group, and people from numerous countries during the 1900s. Through brushtalk with influential Japanese and Chinese leaders, Phan discussed many crucial and critical issues concerning the anti-colonial struggle against France and the national liberation movement in Vietnam. Because many of the issues discussed were politically sensitive, there was a need for secrecy by restricting access to only the relevant interlocutors. For this reason, using brushtalk was felt to be more sensible than seeking help from interpreters. The contents of these “silent conversations” constitute a living testimony to the richness of discussions among East Asian political figures during this period. Various conceivable solutions to sociopolitical problems were put forward, in keeping with bilateral interests in the volatile and tumultuous diplomatic situation in East Asia at the dawn of a new century.