Developing Meteorology in Wartime China: The Chinese Southwest Observation Network and Its Application During the Second Sino-Japanese War

Abstract

Using the Southwest Observation Network as a case study, this article explores the planning and establishment of meteorological networks during the Second Sino-Japanese War, asserting that the Southwest Observation Network largely met China's wartime demand for meteorological information. While the existing literature focuses on political, economic, and social aspects of the wartime period, this article emphasises the role of scientific infrastructure, arguing that the creation of the Southwest Observation Network not only facilitated the observation and transmission of meteorological information but also strengthened the central government's control over local scientific infrastructures, thereby safeguarding China's national sovereignty at a scientific level.