Samokhin A.V. - The Senkaku Islands - is a military conflict between China and Japan possible? Japan has found "its own land" in China

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 |

Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu)

The Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands) is an archipelago in the East China Sea, 170 km northeast of Taiwan, the subject of a territorial dispute between Japan, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China.

Settlement history

According to official Tokyo, since 1885, the Japanese government has repeatedly studied the Senkaku Islands and received accurate confirmation that the islands were not only uninhabited, but there were no signs that they were under Chinese control. Based on this, on January 14, 1895, the government of the country officially included the Senkaku Islands in the territory of Japan in accordance with international law terra nullius - "no man's land".

The Senkaku Islands were neither part of the island of Taiwan nor part of the Pescadores, which were ceded to Japan by Qing China in accordance with the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which was concluded in April 1895 following the First Sino-Japanese War. In the period 1900-1940. On the islands of Kubajima and Uotsurishima, there were 2 settlements of Japanese fishermen, with a total of 248 inhabitants. There was also a bonita processing plant on the island of Wotsurijima. Due to the crisis in the Japanese fishing industry, the factory closed and the settlements were abandoned by the beginning of 1941.

In 1945, Japan lost the war and lost all the territories it had acquired since the end of the 19th century. Senkaku, along with Okinawa, came under US jurisdiction. But in the early 1970s, the United States returned Okinawa to Japan, giving her Senkaku as well.

20 years later, the PRC stated that it did not agree with this decision and in 1992 declared this territory "originally Chinese." According to the Chinese side, the islands should be returned to China in accordance with the provisions of the Cairo Declaration of 1943, which deprived Japan of all its conquered territories. It must be said that interest in the archipelago from China began to arise after studies were carried out here under the auspices of the UN in 1968, on the basis of which it was concluded that there were oil and gas reserves in the East China Sea. This, in turn, prompted the Chinese Government and Taiwanese authorities since the 1970s to make their first claims to territorial sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands. Curiously, up to this point, there had been no objection from any country or region to Japan's sovereignty over the islands. For example, there is a mention of "Senkaku Islands, Yaeyama County, Okinawa Prefecture, Empire of Japan" in a letter dated 1920, which was sent by the then Consul of the Republic of China in Nagasaki. In addition, the People's Daily article of January 8, 1953, and the Atlas of the World published in China in 1960, also considered the Senkaku Islands as part of Okinawa.

In 2003, the Chinese set up an offshore platform near the sea border with Japanese waters and started drilling. The Japanese side expressed concern that the PRC could start extracting gas from deposits extending under Japanese territory.

In the spring of 2004, in connection with the detention by Japan of Chinese citizens who landed on the Diaoyudao (Senkaku) Islands, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui outlined the position of the Chinese government on the issue Diaoyu Islands He pointed out that the Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islands are the original territory of the PRC, that China has an indisputable sovereign right over these islands, and that the determination and will of the Chinese government and people to uphold the country's territorial sovereignty remain unchanged.

In October 2004, the first round of consultations on the Senkaku gas field took place, during which the parties agreed to resolve all issues exclusively through negotiations, without resorting to the use of force. At the same time, China rejected the demands of the Japanese side to acquaint it with the PRC's plans for drilling and gas production at Senkaku.

Also, Tencent QQ, a service popular in China, launched filtering messages related to the controversial issue of the Senkaku Islands. In August 2004, QQ Games began filtering words such as "Senkaku Islands" and "Senkaku Defense Movement." This act sparked a lot of debate, and Tencent has since removed the filter.

In April 2005, the Japanese government decided to start considering applications from Japanese companies for issuing licenses for gas production on the shelf of the archipelago. The PRC Foreign Ministry described the decision as "one-sided and provocative", pointing out that Japanese firms cannot work in the territory that the PRC considers its own. Japan's decision was one of the reasons that led to massive anti-Japanese demonstrations and pogroms in China.

In June 2005, the second round of Sino-Japanese consultations took place. They didn't bring results. China refused to stop gas production from the shelf on the border between Chinese and Japanese waters and again rejected the request of the Japanese side to provide it with information about the work on the shelf. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China has a "sovereign right" to extract gas in "waters close to the coast of the PRC" and not "the subject of a dispute with Japan."

The parties agreed to continue negotiations. Japan agreed to consider a Chinese proposal to jointly develop the field. Until 2010, Japan and China were negotiating the details of the project, but they were suspended at the initiative of the PRC after Japan detained a Chinese trawler in the disputed Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands / and arrested its captain.

In March 2011, the Chinese oil and gas company CNOOC began developing the Shirakaba / Chunxiao / gas field. The Shirakaba / Chunxiao / field is located on the Chinese side of the line along which Japan separates the economic zones of the two countries, but Tokyo believes that it has access to a common gas reservoir in the East China Sea.

“The Diaoyu Archipelago and its adjacent islands have been Chinese territory since ancient times, and China has undeniable sovereignty over these islands. Any measures taken by the Japanese side in the waters near the Diaoyu Islands are illegal and invalid," this is China's official point of view on the situation around the Diaoyu Islands.

On April 15, 2012, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara announced that the Japanese capital was going to buy these islands in the East China Sea, which are also claimed by China.

In the area of ​​the islands there are deposits of natural gas, which China intends to develop. Official Tokyo claims that maritime border between the two states clearly demarcates these territories, and the gas-rich areas belong to Japan. On this moment Tokyo authorities lease these islands from private owners, who are Japanese citizens.

On July 11, patrol ships of the Chinese Navy were maneuvering off the coast of Senkaku Island. In this regard, on July 15, 2012, the Japanese Ambassador to China was recalled for consultations.

On August 19, anti-Japanese demonstrations took place in China, in a number of places ending in pogroms of Japanese shops and Japanese-made cars. The reason for the speeches was the fact of landing on disputed islands groups of Japanese citizens and the hoisting of the Japanese flag there.

On September 5, Japanese media reported that the Japanese government was able to negotiate with a private owner of 3 of the 5 Senkaku Islands to buy them for 2 billion 50 million yen, exceeding the offer of Tokyo Prefecture.

On September 11, China responded to Japan's decision by sending two warships to the disputed islands "to protect sovereignty." The Chinese Foreign Ministry explained that if Japan does not refuse to buy the Senkaku Islands, which the PRC considers historically belonging to it, then the incident could threaten with "serious consequences." Mass anti-Japanese pogroms began the same week, which led to the closure of factories owned by Japanese companies.

On September 16, relations between China and Japan escalated after mass protests began in China against Japan's "nationalization" of the islands, which the PRC considers its territory. Anti-Japanese demonstrations with the participation of several thousand people are engulfed in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Chengdu.

Later, 1,000 Chinese fishing boats head for the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands. On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China announced that Chinese government is ready to submit part of the documents regarding the outer limit of the continental shelf beyond the 200-mile maritime zone in the East China Sea to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, established on the basis of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Two of the 11 Chinese military patrol ships cruising near the Senkaku Islands entered Japanese territorial waters.

And the People's Republic of China.

Story

According to official Tokyo, since 1885, the Japanese government has repeatedly studied the Senkaku Islands and received accurate confirmation that the islands were not only uninhabited, but there were no signs that they were under Chinese control. Based on this, on January 14, 1895, the government of the country officially included the Senkaku Islands in the territory of Japan in accordance with the international law terra nullius - "no man's land".

The Senkaku Islands were neither part of the island of Taiwan nor part of the Pescadores Islands, which were ceded to Japan by Qing China in accordance with the Shimonoseki Treaty, which was concluded in April 1895 following the first Sino-Japanese War. In the period 1900-1940. On the islands of Kubajima and Uotsurishima, there were 2 settlements of Japanese fishermen, with a total of 248 inhabitants. A bonita processing plant also operated on the island of Wotsurijima. Due to the crisis in the Japanese fishing industry, the factory closed and the settlements were abandoned by the beginning of 1941.
In 1945, Japan lost the war and lost all the territories it had acquired since the end of the 19th century. Senkaku, along with Okinawa, came under US jurisdiction. But in the early 1970s, the United States returned Okinawa to Japan, giving it and Senkaku.

In October 2004, the first round of consultations on the Senkaku gas field took place, during which the parties agreed to resolve all issues exclusively through negotiations, without resorting to the use of force. At the same time, China rejected the demands of the Japanese side to acquaint it with the PRC's plans for drilling and gas production at Senkaku.

Also, Tencent QQ, a service popular in China, launched filtering messages related to the controversial issue of the Senkaku Islands. In August 2004, QQ Games began filtering words such as "钓鱼岛" (Senkaku Islands) and "保钓" (Senkaku Defense Movement). This act sparked a lot of debate, and Tencent has since removed the filter.

In April 2005, the Japanese government decided to start considering applications from Japanese companies for issuing licenses for gas production on the shelf of the archipelago. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China described this decision as "one-sided and provocative", pointing out that Japanese firms cannot carry out work in the territory that the PRC considers its own. Japan's decision was one of the reasons that led to massive anti-Japanese demonstrations and pogroms in China. [ ]

In June 2005, the second round of Sino-Japanese consultations took place. They didn't bring results. China refused to stop gas production from the shelf on the border between Chinese and Japanese waters and again rejected the request of the Japanese side to provide it with information about the work on the shelf. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China has a "sovereign right" to extract gas in "waters close to the coast of the PRC" and not "the subject of a dispute with Japan."

The parties agreed to continue negotiations. Japan agreed to consider a Chinese proposal to jointly develop the field. Until 2010, Japan and China were negotiating the details of the project, but they were suspended at the initiative of the PRC after Japan detained a Chinese trawler in the area of ​​the disputed Senkaku Islands / and arrested its captain.

In March 2011, the Chinese oil and gas company CNOOC began developing the Shirakaba / Chunxiao / gas field. The Shirakaba / Chunxiao / field is located on the Chinese side of the line along which Japan separates the economic zones of the two countries, but Tokyo believes that it has access to a common gas reservoir in the East China Sea.

“The Diaoyu Archipelago and its adjacent islands have been Chinese territory since ancient times, and China has undeniable sovereignty over these islands. Any measures taken by the Japanese side in the waters near the Diaoyu Islands are illegal and invalid, ”this is the official point of view of the PRC on the situation around the Diaoyu Islands.

On April 15, 2012, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara announced that the capital of Japan was going to buy these islands in the East China Sea, which are also claimed by China.

In the area of ​​the islands there are deposits of natural gas, which China intends to develop. Official Tokyo, on the other hand, claims that the sea border of the two states clearly delimits these territories, and the gas-rich areas belong to Japan. At the moment, the Tokyo authorities lease these islands from private owners, who are Japanese citizens.

On July 11, patrol ships of the Chinese Navy were maneuvering off the coast of Senkaku Island. In this regard, on July 15, 2012, the Japanese ambassador to the PRC was recalled for consultations.

On August 19, anti-Japanese demonstrations took place in China, in a number of places ending in pogroms of Japanese shops and Japanese-made cars. The reason for the speeches was the fact that a group of Japanese citizens landed on the disputed islands and hoisted the flag of Japan there.

On September 5, Japanese media reported that the Japanese government was able to negotiate with a private owner of 3 of the 5 Senkaku Islands to buy them for 2.05 billion yen, exceeding the offer of Tokyo Prefecture.

On September 11, China responded to Japan's decision by sending two warships to the disputed islands "to protect sovereignty." The Chinese Foreign Ministry explained that if Japan does not refuse to buy the Senkaku Islands, which the PRC considers historically belonging to it, then the incident could threaten with "serious consequences." Mass anti-Japanese pogroms began that same week, which led to the closure of factories owned by Japanese companies.

On September 16, relations between China and Japan escalated after mass protests began in China against Japan's "nationalization" of the islands, which the PRC considers its territory. Anti-Japanese demonstrations involving several thousand people took place in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Chengdu.

Later, 1,000 Chinese fishing boats make their way to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands. On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC announced that the Chinese government was ready to submit part of the documents regarding the outer limit of the continental shelf beyond the 200-mile maritime zone in the East China Sea to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, established on the basis of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Two of the 11 Chinese military patrol ships cruising near the Senkaku Islands entered Japanese territorial waters.

(I) Coordinates : 25°46′31″ N sh. 123°31′39″ E d. /  25.77528° N sh. 123.52750° E d. / 25.77528; 123.52750(G) (I)

Story

According to official Tokyo, since 1885, the Japanese government has repeatedly studied the Senkaku Islands and received accurate confirmation that the islands were not only uninhabited, but there were no signs that they were under Chinese control. Based on this, on January 14, 1895, the government of the country officially included the Senkaku Islands in the territory of Japan in accordance with international law terra nullius - "no man's land".

The Senkaku Islands were neither part of the island of Taiwan nor part of the Pescadores, which were ceded to Japan by Qing China in accordance with the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which was concluded in April 1895 following the First Sino-Japanese War. In the period 1900-1940. On the islands of Kubajima and Uotsurishima, there were 2 settlements of Japanese fishermen, with a total of 248 inhabitants. A bonita processing plant also operated on the island of Wotsurijima. Due to the crisis in the Japanese fishing industry, the factory closed and the settlements were abandoned by the beginning of 1941.
In 1945, Japan lost the war and lost all the territories it had acquired since the end of the 19th century. Senkaku, along with Okinawa, came under US jurisdiction. But in the early 1970s, the United States returned Okinawa to Japan, giving it and Senkaku.

2012

In the area of ​​the islands there are deposits of natural gas, which China intends to develop. Official Tokyo, on the other hand, claims that the sea border of the two states clearly delimits these territories, and the gas-rich areas belong to Japan. At the moment, the Tokyo authorities lease these islands from private owners, who are Japanese citizens.

On July 11, patrol ships of the Chinese Navy were maneuvering off the coast of Senkaku Island. In this regard, on July 15, 2012, the Japanese ambassador to the PRC was recalled for consultations.

On August 19, anti-Japanese demonstrations took place in China, in a number of places ending in pogroms of Japanese shops and Japanese-made cars. The reason for the speeches was the fact that a group of Japanese citizens landed on the disputed islands and hoisted the flag of Japan there.

On September 5, Japanese media reported that the Japanese government was able to negotiate with a private owner of 3 of the 5 Senkaku Islands to buy them for 2.05 billion yen, exceeding the offer of Tokyo Prefecture.

On September 11, China responded to Japan's decision by sending two warships to the disputed islands "to protect sovereignty." The Chinese Foreign Ministry explained that if Japan does not refuse to buy the Senkaku Islands, which the PRC considers historically belonging to it, then the incident could threaten with "serious consequences." Mass anti-Japanese pogroms began that same week, which led to the closure of factories owned by Japanese companies.

On September 16, relations between China and Japan escalated after mass protests began in China against Japan's "nationalization" of the islands, which the PRC considers its territory. Anti-Japanese demonstrations involving several thousand people took place in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Chengdu.

Later, 1,000 Chinese fishing boats make their way to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands. On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC announced that the Chinese government was ready to submit part of the documents regarding the outer limit of the continental shelf beyond the 200-mile maritime zone in the East China Sea to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, established on the basis of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Two of the 11 Chinese military patrol ships cruising near the Senkaku Islands entered Japanese territorial waters.

Geography

09.12.2008
Relations between China and Japan deteriorated again. The two countries will not share the five tiny islets of Senkaku (Diaoyu) 170 km northwest of the coast of Taiwan in the East China Sea. The price of the issue is the huge reserves of oil and gas on the shelf. However, the islands have other importance: in the event of establishing Beijing's power over them, the Chinese will receive a springboard for an attack on Taiwan. At the same time, Russia can ignore Japanese demands on the Kuriles, using this precedent.

The territorial dispute between China and Japan intensified sharply. Tiny uninhabited islets Senkaku (Diaoyu). Chinese ships once again approached the archipelago, from which, as they feared japanese side, troops can be landed on the disputed archipelago.

According to the Japanese side, on December 8, two Chinese research vessels violated the border of Japanese territorial waters in the East China Sea and approached the islands that Tokyo considers its own. The Japanese border guards repeatedly demanded that they leave, but the Chinese only did so when they saw fit.

This incident so outraged the Japanese that it became the subject of discussion of the Japanese Cabinet of Ministers, convened for an emergency meeting by its head Takeo Kawamura. In this regard, Tokyo protested to Beijing and at the same time, as the text of its statement says, "great regret." According to Japan's Deputy Defense Minister Kohei Masuda, the Japan Self-Defense Forces are "not planning any special response measures" yet. This is not surprising. Tokyo wants to avoid an open clash with Beijing, which is gaining strength, at all costs.

In addition, the geographical proximity of Senkaku to China makes the archipelago vulnerable in the event of a possible military operation on its part.

It is significant that the incident occurred on the eve of the summit meeting of Japan, China and South Korea, which was supposed to take place on December 13th. Thus, official Beijing says that it does not intend to refuse the return of territories lost "due to unfair treaties with foreign powers."

Recall that Chinese navigators discovered the Senkaku archipelago in 1371, and before the Sino-Japanese war of 1895, it belonged to China. According to the Shimonoseki peace treaty, which sealed the victory of the Japanese, Beijing ceded it, along with Taiwan, in favor of Tokyo.

At the same time, history and international law are on the side of China in this case, since, in accordance with the paragraphs of the Cairo Declaration of 1943, which decided the fate of post-war Japan in advance, it was deprived of all the territories it had previously conquered. After the end of World War II, when the Japanese lost all the lands they had captured since the end of the 19th century, the archipelago came under the temporary jurisdiction of the United States, and in the early 1970s it was transferred by the Americans to Japan, which considers it extreme point Okinawa Island Prefecture and "Japanese Native Territory". In turn, China considers the Senkaku archipelago "originally Chinese land." True, while wanting to keep the Chinese islands for themselves, the Japanese at the same time do not stop laying claim to the Russian Kuriles.

At the same time, incidents like the current one periodically occur. Since 1992, when China for the first time in its post-war history clearly stated its claims, members of the "Movement for the Return of the PRC Islands" with support "from above" have regularly approached the islands and even landed on them. True, until recently, the Japanese acted tough and expelled unexpected paratroopers back.

What is the reason for such a fierce dispute over a piece of uninhabited land? Until 1999, when huge reserves of oil and especially gas were discovered on their shelf, China did not raise this issue so sharply. Now, when only the estimated reserves of "blue gold" are about 200 billion cubic meters, the situation has changed.

And in their desire to establish their power over Senkaku, the Chinese are ready to go to the end. So, in 2003, they equipped a drilling platform on the border established by the Japanese and began to pump gas. Including from deposits that were not only in neutral, but also in waters considered by the Japanese as their own. Tokyo protested, but could not do anything, because outwardly all the "norms of decency" were observed, and no one violated the inviolability of foreign territory.

Realizing that the Chinese have much more rights to the disputed islands than the Japanese themselves have to the Kuriles or the South Korean Liancourt archipelago, “Country rising sun” gave a noticeable slack. In order to avoid unnecessary conflicts threatening armed clashes, in 2004 Beijing and Tokyo agreed to resolve the "gas issue" by negotiations without the use of force, but at the same time the Chinese upset their Japanese colleagues, at the same time refusing to discuss with them their plans for production in the disputed area.

On the other hand, when in 2005 the Japanese government also decided to start drilling "next door" to the Chinese, this caused a sharp reaction from the PRC. The country's Foreign Ministry called the actions of the Japanese "one-sided and provocative", because, according to Beijing, they "cannot carry out such work on Chinese territory". Moreover, it led to massive anti-Japanese demonstrations and pogroms in China.

In turn, Chinese diplomats said that Beijing has a "sovereign right" to produce gas in "waters close to the coast of China." And at the same time, China made an offer to produce "blue fuel" together. However, no agreement has been received so far. As you know, the Japanese really do not like to share what they consider their property.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the ownership of the islands is also disputed by Taiwan, to which they are closest. Ships belonging to him are regularly noted in the incidents taking place there. At the same time, they are often more violent than in the case of the Chinese. This is understandable: powerful China, which has nuclear weapons and almost one and a half billion people, represents a lot for Japan. great danger than Taiwan.

So, in 2003, a Japanese patrol boat rammed a Taiwanese "tourist fishing boat." In this regard, official Taipei protested to the Japanese side. According to the Taiwanese President, “The Diaoyutai Islands are the territory of the Republic of China. They fall under the jurisdiction of the village of Toucheng, Yilan County ... We strongly protest the actions of the Japanese authorities - the sinking of our ship and the detention of its captain in our territorial waters.

At the same time, Russia should use this fact to defend its interests in the Kuriles. Indeed, it would be strange to give the Japanese their lands, despite the fact that they themselves are not going to part with the islands taken from China by force.

What will be the fate of this territorial dispute? In the foreseeable future, the return of the islands to China does not shine: in this case, this would sharply strengthen its position in putting pressure on Taiwan. In the event that the archipelago falls into the hands of the Chinese, they can use it as a springboard for landing over an island not controlled by Beijing. Taiwan has nothing to hope for in this case: the establishment of Taipei jurisdiction over Senkaku can only provoke the Chinese to more active actions. And in Washington, which supports both Taipei and Tokyo in opposition to Beijing, this is perfectly understood.

And therefore, the preservation of Japanese control over the disputed archipelago, with the tacit consent of the Americans, for some time will be able to moderate Chinese ambitions to revise the "unequal treaties." Otherwise, it could set a very bad precedent for China's other neighbors.

Territorial dispute over the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands

© 2013 I. Gordeeva

The article deals with the territorial dispute between Japan and China around the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands, which led to a serious deterioration in relations between the two countries. The basic positions of the parties on this issue are analyzed on the basis of official documents, as well as the position of the United States. Keywords: Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands, Japan, China, Taiwan, USA.

IN Lately the territorial dispute between Japan and China over the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands sharply escalated again, becoming more and more dangerous and irreconcilable. These islands, located in the East China Sea, include five small islands and three rocks, ranging in size from 800 sq. m to 4.32 sq. km, total - about 7 square meters. km. They are located about 170 km from the coast of Taiwan, 170 km from the south island(Ishigaki) Japanese archipelago Nansei (Ryukyu) and 330 km from the coast of mainland China. The dispute directly involves Taiwan, which also claims sovereignty over these islands, and the United States, which takes an outwardly neutral, but in reality openly pro-Japanese position.

The current basic positions of the parties are set out in China's September 25, 2012 White Paper "The Diaoyu - China's Inalienable Territory"1, republished year after year, in the Japanese Foreign Ministry's widely circulated memo "Basic Approach to Sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands" (latest publication - October 2012)2, in numerous official statements, articles, collections of materials. The issue of Senkaku (Diaoyu) was repeatedly raised during hearings in the US Congress, a detailed American position is contained in the report of the Congressional Research Service of September 25, 2012.3

According to the data of the Chinese side (PRC and Taiwan) - with reference to numerous historical sources, maps, including Japanese ones, the islands were discovered by China back in the Ming era (1368-1644). Then they were included in the zone of the coast guard of China. During the Qing era (1644-1911), the Diaoyu Islands became administratively part of Chinese province Taiwan. Before the start of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), no one disputed China's rights to the Diaoyu Islands, each of which was given Chinese names.

Japan's interest in the islands began to manifest itself from 1884 - after the annexation by Japan in 1879 of the Ryukyu kingdom, which was previously a vassal of China and was renamed

Gordeeva Irina Viktorovna, Senior Lecturer of Japanese at the Higher School of Economics. Email: [email protected]

after being annexed to "Okinawa Prefecture". According to the materials of the White Paper of the PRC, the events unfolded as follows. Beginning in 1884, Japan sent several secret detachments to the islands to survey them. The governor of Okinawa several times addressed the Japanese Foreign Ministry with a proposal to include the islands in Okinawa Prefecture. However, the Japanese Foreign Ministry then took a cautious position, pointing out that the installation of signs on the islands about their belonging to Japan could attract attention and provoke protests from the Qing imperial court. After the Japanese-Chinese war broke out in July 1894 and Japanese troops captured the port of Luishun (Port Arthur) at the end of November, thereby prejudging the outcome of the war in their favor, the Japanese side (this was then done by Foreign Minister M. Munemitsu) decided it was time to act. On January 14, 1895, the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan adopted a secret resolution on the inclusion of the said islands into the Okinawa Prefecture. The islands were given Japanese names However, the name Senkaku was given only in 1900. Under the terms of the Shimonoseki Treaty signed on April 17, 1895, China ceded Taiwan to Japan "together with the islands adjacent to or belonging to it." Specifically, only the Pescador Islands (Penghuledao Islands) were named. However, the Chinese side proceeds from the fact, and constantly emphasizes this, that Taiwan was transferred along with the Diaoyu Islands, which at that time were part of Taiwan Province. This circumstance is of fundamental importance for China, determining its future position in such a way that the Diaoyu Islands should have been transferred to China together with Taiwan after the defeat of Japan in World War II in accordance with the Yalta, Potsdam and other decisions of the victorious powers.

As for the Japanese interpretation of this issue, in the mentioned memo of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, it is as follows: “Starting from 1885, the Japanese government carried out in-depth exploration of the Senkaku Islands with the help of the authorities of Okinawa Prefecture and in other ways. Based on the data received, it was confirmed that the Senkaku Islands are uninhabited, there is no evidence that they are under Chinese control. On this basis, on January 14, 1895, the Japanese government decided to install signs on the islands, thereby officially including them in Japanese territory. Since then, the Senkaku Islands have always been an integral part of the Nansei Islands, which are the territory of Japan. These islands were neither part of Taiwan nor part of the Pescadores, which were ceded to Japan by the Qing Dynasty of China in accordance with Article II of the Shimonoseki Treaty, which came into force in May 1895. Accordingly, the Senkaku Islands were not included in the list of territories, from which Japan refused under Article II of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. The Senkaku Islands were transferred to the administration of the United States as part of the Nansei Archipelago in accordance with Article III of the said treaty and included in the territory, the administrative rights of which were returned to Japan in accordance with the Agreement between Japan and the United States of America regarding the Ryukyu Archipelago and the Daito Islands, signed June 17, 1971 The facts presented clearly show the status of the Senkaku Islands as part of the territory of Japan. The fact that China did not object to the islands' status as under US administration under Article III of the San Francisco Peace Treaty clearly indicates that China did not consider the Senkaku Islands to be part of Taiwan. Only in the second half of the 1970s, after the issue of developing oil fields on the continental shelf in the East China Sea, did the Chinese government and Taiwan authorities begin to raise questions about the Senkaku Islands. Moreover, none of the arguments put forward by the Chinese government as "historical, geographical or geological" evidence is valid, in terms of international law, to confirm China's arguments regarding the Senkaku Islands"4.

Japan's position provokes a sharply negative reaction from Beijing. It is pointed out that the Japanese government was well aware that the Diaoyu Islands were by no means "Terra nullius" (no man's land), and decided to annex the islands only by inflicting a military defeat on China (according to the Chinese White Paper, Japan's advance in 1885-1895 to capture Senkaku Islands - with a constant eye on the reaction of the Qing imperial court - is clearly recorded in Japanese diplomatic documents compiled by the Japanese Foreign Ministry itself). It is emphasized that, in its fundamental basis, China has never renounced sovereignty over these islands, proceeded and continues to proceed from the fact that they should have been returned to China - together with Taiwan - following the results of the Second World War. It is also said that the PRC, like the authorities of Taiwan, was not invited to the San Francisco Conference. In this regard, the then Premier and Foreign Minister of the PRC, Zhou Enlai, declared on September 18, 1951, on behalf of the PRC government, that the San Francisco Peace Treaty was "illegal and invalid", the Chinese government does not recognize it, since China was excluded from participation in the preparation , formulation and signing of the Treaty5. It is also noted that initially, when the Ryukyu Islands were transferred to US administration, the Diaoyu Islands were not included in the administration. The jurisdiction of the American administration was extended to them only in December 1953, which, as the Chinese White Paper says, met "strong objections" from China.

On June 17, 1971, the United States and Japan signed an agreement on the return of the Ryukyu Islands (together with the Senkaku Islands) to Japan. In this regard, the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on December 30, 1971, which emphasized: “The inclusion by the governments of the United States and Japan Chinese islands Diaoyu as part of the territories returned to Japan under the Okinawa Return Agreement is completely illegal. This in no way can change the territorial sovereignty of the PRC over the Diaoyu Islands. The Taiwanese authorities made a similar statement.

In September 1972, Japan and the PRC established diplomatic relations between themselves, and on August 12, 1978, they signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Being at that time in difficult international circumstances, the Chinese side preferred not to aggravate the Diaoyu issue, although it was raised by the parties during the negotiations. According to Deputy Premier Deng Xiaoping during a summit meeting with Prime Minister T. Fukuda in October 1978, at the talks in 1972 and 1978, the parties agreed to "put aside" the solution of this issue. “People of our generation,” Deng Xiaoping said in an interview with T. Fukuda and at a press conference on October 25, 1978, “do not have sufficient wisdom to resolve this discussion, perhaps the next generation will be wiser than us. Then a solution will be found with which everyone would agree. At the same time, as the Japanese side points out, there are “no facts confirming Japan’s agreement with the Chinese side’s proposal to “postpone” the solution of the issue or “maintain the status quo” in the situation with the Sen-kaku Islands”8. It is noted that T. Fukuda did not react to these words of Deng Xiaoping.

GORDEEVA IRINA VIKTOROVNA - 2014