Lot# 9051

this group of three covers illustrates airmail correspondence from China to Asian destinations - Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia during the 7th Postal Tariff Period, each correctly franked at 5,800 yuan. Introduced on 1 May 1953, the Asian airmail surcharge was reduced from 4,200 yuan to 3,600 yuan per 10g, combined with 2,200 yuan for the first 20g of surface postage, lowering the total inclusive rate from 8,700 to 5,800 yuan, a substantial reduction of 2,900 yuan. The covers originated from Tientsin, Canton, and a remote village in Nanan, Fukien, and were all routed via Canton and Hong Kong for onward air transmission. The cover from Tientsin to Japan illustrates the reliance on Hong Kong as the principal international airmail gateway even for mail from North China, while the two to Singapore and Malaysia exemplify how affordable airmail encouraged widespread correspondence, reaching even village-level postal agencies. Together, they demonstrate the practical implementation of the 5,800 yuan Asian airmail rate and the steady expansion of China’s airmail network across the Asia-Pacific region in the early 1950s.