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Japan-China Relations:
Current Situation of Senkaku Islands

May 2013

Japanese （日本語）
Chinese
Russian

Geography

The Senkaku Islands consist of those islands such as the Uotsuri Island, Kitakojima Island, and Minamikojima Island, Kubajima Island, Taisyojima Island, Okinokitaiwa, Okinominamiiwa and Tobise.

History

The Senkaku Islands are not included in the territory which Japan renounced under Article II of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which came into effect in April 1952 and legally demarcated Japan’s territory after World War II. They were placed under the administration of the United States of America as part of the Nansei Shoto Islands, in accordance with Article III of the said treaty, and were included in the areas whose administrative rights were reverted to Japan in accordance with the Agreement Between Japan and the United States of America concerning the Ryukyu Islands and the Daito Islands, which came into force in May 1972. The facts outlined herein clearly indicate the status of the Senkaku Islands as being part of the territory of Japan. Historically, the Senkaku Islands have continuously been an integral part of the Nansei Shoto Islands, which are the territory of Japan.
From 1885, surveys of the Senkaku Islands had been thoroughly conducted by the Government of Japan. Through these surveys, it was confirmed that the Senkaku Islands showed no trace of having been under the control of China. Based on this confirmation, the Government of Japan made a Cabinet Decision in January 1895 to formally incorporate the Senkaku Islands into the territory of Japan. Based on the Japanse Government's approval, workers were sent to those islands and ran such business as manufacturing dried bonito.

Q&A on the Senkaku Islands

Japan's Position and its Grounds

The Government of Japan made a Cabinet Decision in January 1895 on the Islands to formally incorporate the Senkaku Islands into the territory of Japan. These measures were carried out in accordance with the ways of duly acquiring territorial sovereignty under international law.

Since then, until the question of the development of petroleum resources on the continental shelf of the East China Sea came to the surface in 1968, and then the Government of China and Taiwan authorities began to raise questions regarding the Senkaku Islands in 1971, there had been neither sovereignty claims nor objections to Japanese sovereignty raised by any countries and entities. There are also documents that indicates that the Chinese side had been recognized the Senkaku Islands as Japanese territory.

Q&A on the Senkaku Islands

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