Communist China

Regional Issues

1941 - 1949

Chinese Entities

In 1937, from their base in Manchuria, Japan invaded China and the communist and nationalist forces cooperated to oppose them. The struggle lasted until Japan's global defeat in 1945, at which point the communist forces held around two-thirds of the previously Japanese territory. Hostilities then resumed between the communist and nationalist forces with the communists wining the decisive battle of Hwai-Hai in 1949 which led to overall victory. During this conflict, postal services were administered on a regional basis, although the regional stamps could be used throughout China. With the proclamation of the People's Republic in 1949, general issues replaced all locals with the exception of North-East China which did not adopt the national currency until 1951.

While Gibbons and Scott use broadly the same geographical headings, the contents and organisation within are inconsistent. There are subdivisions within the main geographical areas and these are beyond the scope of this page.


North-West China	North-East China	North China	Port Arthur and Dairen
1945 Sc-4L1 SG-NW15A	1946 Sc-1L1 SG-NE133	1946 Sc3L1 SG-NC17	1946 Sc-2L1 SH?


East China	Central China	South China	South-West China
1948 Sc-5L1 SG-EC120	1949 Sc-6L1 SG-CC45	1949 Sc-7L1 SG-CC201	1949 Sc-8L1 SG-SW9

Region	Date	Description	Format	Seq	FI	Scott	SG	Notes
Central China	4 Jun 1949	$1 on $200 red orange	China surch.	6	-	6L1	CC45	6
East China	Mar 1948	$50 yellow-orange	perf 10½, litho	5	-	5L1	EC120	5
North China	Mar 1946	$1 red-brown	perf 10½, wmk wavy lines	3	590	3L1	NC17	3
North-East China	Feb 1946	$1 violet	perf 11, no wmk, litho	2	-	1L1	NE133	1
North-West China	Mar 1945	$1 green	imperf, litho	1	-	4L1	NW15A	4
Port Arthur and Dairen	15 Mar 1946	20f on 30ff buff	Manchukuo surch.	4	-	2L1	?	2
South China	4 Nov 1949	$10 green	imperf, litho	7	-	7L1	CC201	6
South-West China	Dec 1949	$10 deep blue	perf 12½, litho	8	-	8L1	SW9	7

Notes
1. North-East China - Gibbons lists many more sub-regions than Scott the Scott 1L1 is SG-NE133, in section 7, North-East China People's Post.
2. Gibbons includes Port Arthur and Dairen as section 2 of North East China. The Scott 2L1 was not found.
3. North China - Gibbons begins the region in 1937 with the Shanxi-Chahar-Heibi border area. Scott 3L1 is Gibbons NC17.
4. For North-West China, Gibbons equivalent for 4L1 is the first from section 2, Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia, SG-NW15A.
5. East China 5L1 is SG-EC120.
6. Gibbons combines Central and South China. 6L1 is section 2, Hubei SG-CC45. 7L1 is section 5, South China, SG-CC201.
7. For South-West China, 8L1 is in Gibbons section 2, S-WC People's Post SG-SW9.