The Senkaku Islands ( The Japanese language is a spoken and written language used mainly in Japan. ...Japanese: 尖閣諸島; Senkaku_Shotō) are A small island in the Adriatic sea An island is any piece of land smaller than a continent and larger than a rock, that is completely surrounded by water. ...islands are currently under Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  _ Total  _ % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ...Japanese control but claimed by the The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. ...People's Republic of China and the The Republic of China ( Traditional Chinese: 中華民國; Simplified Chinese: 中华民国; Wade_Giles: Chung_hua Min_kuo, Tongyong Pinyin: JhongHuá MínGuó, Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó) is a multiparty democratic state that is composed of the island groups of Taiwan, the Pescadores, Quemoy, and the Matsu. ...Republic of China (Taiwan), by which they are known as Diaoyutai Islands or Diaoyu Islands—both literally mean "Fishing Islands." ( Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...Simplified Chinese: 钓鱼台群岛 Pinyin (拼音, pīnyīn) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to Hànyǔ Pīnyīn (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Standard Mandarin used in the...Pinyin: Diàoyútái Qúndǎo; Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...Traditional Chinese: 釣魚台列嶼 Pinyin (拼音, pīnyīn) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to Hànyǔ Pīnyīn (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Standard Mandarin used in the...Pinyin: Diàoyútái Lièyǔ) They are also known as the Pinnacle Islands, named by the British navigators, and the probable source of the Japanese name. Though these islands are too small to be pictured on most maps, their status has emerged as a major issue in Goals and nature of relations Japan is the most important to China of the nonsuperpower developed nations. ...Sino_Japanese relations.

Geography

• Total island This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ...area: 7 Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ...km²
• In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ...Population: 0
• This article is about longitude and latitude; see also UTM coordinate system Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth_mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which...Geographic coordinates: 25°58' _ 25°41'45" N, 123°27'45" _ 124°41'30" E

The group is made up of five small This article is about volcanoes in geology. ...volcanic islands:

• Uotsuri_jima (魚釣島)⊕ or Diaoyu Dao (釣魚島本島 "Fishing Island" or 主島): 4.319 km²
• Kuba_jima (久場島) or Huangwei Yu (黃尾嶼 "Yellow Tail"): 1.08 km²
• Taisho_jima(大正島) or Chiwei Yu (赤尾嶼 "Red Tail")
• Kita Kojima or Beixiao Dao (北小島 "Northern Islet")※
• Minami Kojima or Nanxiao Dao (南小島 "Southern Islet")※

And three rocks:

• Okino Kitaiwa (沖ノ北岩 "Northern Rocks of the Open Sea") _No Chinese name
• Okino Minamiiwa (沖ノ南岩 "Southern Rocks of the Open Sea") _No Chinese name
• Tobise (飛瀬 "Flying Shoal") _No Chinese name

⊕Japanese name literally derived from the Chinese name ※Chinese name derived from the Japanese name

In Japan, the islands are considered part of the The Southwest Islands or Nansei_shoto (南西諸島 Nansei_shotō) are an island chain stretching southwestward from Kyushu in Japan. ...Southwest Islands. They are 170 KM, Km, or km may stand for: Khmer language (ISO 639 alpha_2, km) Kilometre/Kilometer (only km in minuscule is the correct representation of kilometer as an SI unit of length) Kinemantra Meditation Knowledge management, in the field of Library and information science Knowledge Machine, the KM knowledge representation...km north of Ishigaki, Okinawa ...Ishigaki Island, Japan; 170 km northeast of Keelung (基隆 Pinyin: Jīlóng, Wade_Giles: Chi_lung) is a county_level city of Taiwan Province, Republic of China. ...Keelung, Taiwan; and 410 km west of Okinawa Island is the home of Tsuboya_yaki, pottery in the Ryukyuan tradition. ...Okinawa Island. The islands sit on the edge of the continental shelf of mainland Asia, and are separated from the The Ryukyu Islands (琉球列島 Ryūkyū_rettō) are an island group, the southern portion belonging to Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and the northern part belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. ...Ryukyu Islands by a deep sea trench.

Political Dispute

Note: China refers to both the The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. ...People's Republic of China (PRC) and the The Republic of China ( Traditional Chinese: 中華民國; Simplified Chinese: 中华民国; Wade_Giles: Chung_hua Min_kuo, Tongyong Pinyin: JhongHuá MínGuó, Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó) is a multiparty democratic state that is composed of the island groups of Taiwan, the Pescadores, Quemoy, and the Matsu. ...Republic of China on For the political entity commonly known as Taiwan, see Republic of China. ...Taiwan (ROC) if unspecified.

The Islands are currently controlled by Japan as part of Ishigaki (石垣市; _shi) is a city located in Okinawa, Japan. ...Ishigaki City, This article is about the prefecture. ...Okinawa prefecture, but claimed by China as part of Daxi Village (大溪里), Tiucheng (頭城) is an urban township in the northern part of Yilan County, Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. ...Toucheng Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣, pinyin: Yílán Xiàn) is a county in Northeastern Taiwan. ...Yilan County, Taiwan Province can refer to an existing administrative division under the government of the Republic of China or the claimed 23rd province of the Peoples Republic of China. ...Taiwan Province.

Chinese rule or terra nullius

China claims that it had already ruled the islands before Japan controlled them, while Japan claims that they were Terra nullius is a Latin expression meaning empty land or no mans land. The term refers to a 17th century doctrine that described land that was unclaimed by a sovereign recognised by European authorities and land that was not owned at all. ...terra nullius.

The islands were on the sea route between Okinawa Mainland and Fujian (Chinese: 福建; pinyin: Fújiàn; Wade_Giles: Fu_chien; Postal System Pinyin: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok_kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of China. ...Fujian. Chinese envoys to the The main building of Shuri Castle Ryukyu Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled the Ryukyu Islands from the 14th century to the 19th century. ...Ryukyu Kingdom and, in far higher frequency, Okinawan ships passed by them.

China claims that the Islands were within The Ming Dynasty (Chinese: 明朝; Pinyin: míng cháo) was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, though claims to the Ming throne (now collectively called the Southern Ming) survived until 1662. ...Ming's sea_defense area and belonged to For the political entity commonly known as Taiwan, see Republic of China. ...Taiwan. The Chinese claimed that the Islands were first mentioned in literature in 1372. The Islands were first documented during the The Ming Dynasty (Chinese: 明朝; Pinyin: míng cháo) was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, though claims to the Ming throne (now collectively called the Southern Ming) survived until 1662. ...Ming Dynasty, by royal visitors from Ming China to the The main building of Shuri Castle Ryukyu Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled the Ryukyu Islands from the 14th century to the 19th century. ...Ryukyu Kingdom at the current This article is about the prefecture. ...Okinawa prefecture of Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  _ Total  _ % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ...Japan. The documentation mentions, "When crossing the sea, we could see black [ocean] current underneath. The guide said, after passing this black current, they will leave the boundary of China. At this stage, we can see a series of islands that cannot be seen in the return trip." During the The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade_Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner Asia, establishing the...Qing Dynasty, when the ex_Ming Dynasty general Zheng Jing (鄭經, pinyin: Zhèng Jīng, 1642-1681) was the son of Zheng Cheng-Gong. ...Zheng Jing was defeated, Taiwan and its surrounding islands became under the control of the Qing. The Islands were used only as a landmark for the trip to Ryukyu kingdoms. Some Chinese suggest that during the Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; Wade_Giles: Tzu_hsi) (November 29, 1835–November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto ruler...Cixi era, the Islands were presented as a gift to a mandarin "for the purpose of collecting herbs on the islands," but its credibility is questioned.

Japanese scholars claims that neither China nor Okinawa had recognition of sovereignty over the uninhabited islands so that Chinese documents only prove that Kumejima, the first inhabited island the Chinese met, belonged to Okinawa. Japanese scholars show that the History of Ming (明史), the official history book of the Ming Dynasty compiled during the Qing period, classifies Taiwan and surrounding islands as "foreign countries". They also point to other official Chinese records about Taiwan or Fujian that never mention these islands. In their view, it is certain that no one effectively controlled them.

Japan's formal incorporation and the Treaty of Shimonoseki

Japan claims that after the The Meiji Restoration (明治維新; Meiji Ishin), also known as the Meiji Ishin, Meiji Revolution or Renewal, describes a chain of events that led to a change in Japans political and social structure; it occurred from 1866 to 1869, a period of 4 years that transverses both the late Edo...Meiji Restoration, the Japanese Government conducted surveys of the Islands from 1885 that confirmed for her that these uninhabited islands had no trace of having been under the control of China. Thus Japan decided to erect a marker on the Islands to formally incorporate them in a Cabinet Decision on 14 January 1895. Among these islands, four islands were borrowed and developed by the Koga family.

Today China does not approve Japan's formal incorporation and claims that it is the The Shunpanrou hall where the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed The Treaty of Shimonoseki (Japanese: 下関条約, — Jōyaku), known as the Treaty of Maguan (T. Chinese: 馬關條約, S. Chinese: 马关条约;) in China, was signed at the Shunpanrou on April 17, 1895 between the Empire of Japan and the Qing Empire. ...Treaty of Shimonoseki on April 17, 1895, in which China ceded Taiwan to Japan, also ceded the islands, although the treaty lacks an explicit mention of them. Thus China claims that they should have been returned together with Taiwan after World War II, under provisions of the Alternative meanings: Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo Anti-War Conference Chiang, Roosevelt, and Churchill in Cairo, 11/25/1943 Photocopy of the Cairo Declaration, an unsigned press release The Cairo Conference of November 22_26, 1943, held in Cairo, Egypt, addressed the Allied position against Japan during World...Cairo Declaration, The Potsdam Declaration (not to be confused with the Potsdam Agreement) was a statement issued on July 26, 1945 by Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Chiang Kai_Shek which outlined the terms of surrender for Japan as agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference. ...Potsdam Declaration, and Article 2 of the Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru of Japan, gave a speech on Reconciliation and rapport (和解と信頼) in 1951 at San Francisco Peace conference. ...San Francisco Treaty and the The Treaty of Peace between Japan and the Republic of China (Japanese: 日華平和条約, Chinese: 中日和平條約), commonly known as the Treaty of Taipei as it was signed in Taipei, was a peace treaty between Japan and the Republic of China (ROC) concluded on April 28, 1952. ...Treaty of Taipei.

In a testimonial in 1920 a diplomat from the Chinese Beiyang warlord government once admitted that the islands belonged to the Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture.

An important basis for the Chinese claim comes from a 1944 court ruling in Japan. In that year, the Tokyo court ruled that the islands are part of Taihoku Prefecture ( Alternative meaning: Taipei County City nickname: the City of Azaleas Capital District Xinyi Area  _ Total  _ % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ...Taipei Prefecture), following a dispute between Okinawa Prefecture and Taihoku Prefecture. The contents of the San Francisco Treaty itself regarding Taiwan (and by extension, the disputed islands) are Taiwan independence (台灣獨立, pinyin: Táiwān dúlì, Taiwanese Church Romanization: Tâi_oân To̍k_li̍p; abbreviated to 台獨, Táidú, Tâi_to̍k) is a political movement whose goal is — depending on ones interpretation of the state of affairs between the land directly administered by the Peoples Republic of China (from Beijing...sometimes disputed.

U.S. occupation

Japan claims that after World War II the islands came under the U.S. occupation as part of Okinawa. The U.S. and the Ryukyu Government under the U.S. occupation explicitly ruled the island, and the U.S. navy used Kuba_jima and Taisho_jima as maneuver areas. In 1972 the islands were returned from the U.S. to Japan as part of Okinawa.

Japanese scholars point out that it was not so difficult for the ROC to occupy these island in 1945 because she had already incorporated Taiwan and the surrounding islands two months before the U.S. military occupation extended to Yaeyama Islands. Thus they claim that this proves her lack of willingness to own these islands. They also bring official Chinese publications that show these islands as part of Okinawa.

Scholars from Taiwan reject Japan's claim, pointing out that the ROC government does possess sovereignty over the Islands. When U.S. forces were stationed on Taiwan during the Cold War, military maneuvers were periodically held which required the use of the Islands as an aerial bombing target. The U.S. military applied each time to the ROC government, instead of the Japanese authority, for authorization.

According to Taiwanese sources, the 1954 ROC_U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty contains wording implying that the ROC did control the Islands. The ROC government and the U.S. later agreed to place under the U.S. forces' patrol the area some miles north of the Taiwan island, meaning that the ROC had agreed to U.S. forces patrolling the area around the Islands.

Beginning of the dispute

A survey in 1968 found potential oil fields on the East China Sea, bringing attention to these islands. The Beijing and Taipei governments subsequently pressed their claims of sovereignty over these islands. The ROC claimed them for the first time on June 11, 1971, which was followed by the PRC on December 30.

Recent Developments

• 1988: The Japan Youth Association set up a lighthouse on the main island.

• July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ...July 14, 1996: The Japan Youth Association builds a 5_m high, solar_powered, aluminum lighthouse on another islet.
• September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ...September 26, 1996: Chen Yuxiang/David Chan (陳毓祥), a Hong Kong (香港; Cantonese IPA: ; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2; Yale: heūng góng; pinyin: Xiānggǎng; Wade_Giles: Hsiang_kang) is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the Peoples Republic of China. ...Hong Kong protester, drowns while trying to swim to the main island (Diaoyu Dao, Uotsuri_jima) with several companions.
• October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ...October 7, 1996: Protesters plant the flags of the Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of the Republic of China is red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist_side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. ...ROC and the Ratio 2:3 The Flag of the Peoples Republic of China, the Five-Starred Red Flag (五星红旗 in pinyin: wǔ xīng hóng qí), was designed by Zeng Liansong (曾联松 zēng lián sòng), an economist by trade and a talented artist who took residence in Ruian (瑞安 ruì ān), Zhejiang. ...PRC on the main island, but they were later removed by the Japanese.
• April 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...2002: The Japanese government leased Uotsuri and other islands from the private owners
• March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). ...March 24, 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...2004: A group of Chinese activists from the PRC lands, planning to stay on the Islands for 3 days. The seven who land on the Islands are arrested by the Japanese government for illegal entry. The Japanese Foreign Ministry forwards a complaint to the PRC government, and the PRC in turn demands their release. They were then deported from Japan. Japan subsequently banned anybody from landing on the islands without prior permission.
• February 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...2005 Japan plans to take ownership of a privately owned The Peggys Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. ...lighthouse on Uotsuri, after it was offered to them by the owner, a fisherman living on Ishigaki (石垣市; _shi) is a city located in Okinawa, Japan. ...Ishigaki, Okinawa. The lighthouse will be managed by the Japanese Coast Guard

See also

• Goals and nature of relations Japan is the most important to China of the nonsuperpower developed nations. ...Sino_Japanese relations

External links

• History  (http://www_ibru.dur.ac.uk/docs/senkaku.html)
• Basic View on Senkaku (http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia_paci/senkaku/senkaku.html) (by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Article by Professor Koji Taira (http://japanfocus.org/157.html)
• A Japanese historian's view (http://www.skycitygallery.com/japan/diaohist.html)
• Senkaku @BBC (http://newssearch.bbc.co.uk/cgi_bin/search/results.pl?scope=newsifs&tab=news&q=Senkaku&go.x=31&go.y=16)