Study On The Issue Of The Diaoyu Island In Multidimensional Perspective

Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands are an inseparable part of the Chinese territory.Due to Japan's greed and historical reasons,Diaoyu Island became an island of "problems" in modern era,which had been an island without disputes.Therefore,Diaoyu Island is a territorial dispute after the World War II;it is a question of territory and sovereign rights from the perspective of international law;it also makes a difference to oil development and coastal sources in East China Sea.Nowadays,there are many disputes between China and Japan resulting from Diaoyu Island.These conflicts not only affect foreign affairs and strategy of China and Japan,but also attract great attention from East Asia,even the World.Although apparently Diaoyu Island is a territorial dispute between China and Japan,it relates great powers'strategic options and games of interests greatly.In a word,study of Diaoyu Islandhas academic values and concern for the interests of the country.Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands are China's inherent territory in many historical documents.The earliest historical record of the name of Diaoyu Island can be found in the book Voyage with a Tail Wind(Shun Feng Xiang Song)published in the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty.It shows that China had already discovered and named Diaoyu Island.Ample volume of records about Diaoyu Island could be found in the reports written by Chinese imperial envoys in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Diaoyu Island was exactly located on their route to Ryukyu,and the separating line lies in Hei Shui Gou or Gumi Mountai.Furthermore,The Ming and Qing court incorporated the Diaoyu Island Islands into the scope of China's coastal defense,which was recorded in An Illustrated Compendium on Maritime Security(Chou Hai Tu Bian)and A Tour of Duty in the Taiwan Strait(Tai Hai Shi Cha Lu).China first discovered,named and governed Diaoyu Island,which is the fact that Diaoyu Island belongs to China.This fact is also proved in the historical literatures and maps of Japan,Ryukyu and many western countries.Analyzing these historical texts is the foundation for study of Diaoyu Island,and they are sources for our indisputable sovereignty over Diaoyu Island.Japan attempted to occupy Diaoyu Island from late Qing Dynasty,when China became a weakening power.The Japanese government asked government of Okinawa Prefecture to enforce secret facts-finding missions to Diaoyu Island.According to correspondences between Japan and Okinawa Prefecture,we can see clearly that Japan's secret facts-finding missions experienced hesitation and failure firstly,but the win of Sino-Japanese War made Japan grabbed Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands from China without fears.From the process of Japan's grabbing Diaoyu Island,it pointed out the rise and fall of Qing Dynasty and Japan under the complicated international order.Placing the Diaoyu Island in the background of modern Sino-Japanese relations,and exploring the ways of Japan's invasion of Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands,are helpful for us to refute Japan's claim of sovereignty over Diaoyu Island.The United States played its role in Diaoyu Island,which was reflected in the strategy of the United States at East Asia during and after the war,especially its actions on the Ryukyu Islands.No matter what the United States collected geographical information of the Ryukyu Islands during war time,or 1970s'Okinawa Reversion Agreement,all were arrangements of the United States.However,these arrangements misunderstood the boundaries of the Ryukyu Islands and concerned its national interests,resulting to Diaoyu Islandits affiliated islands which belonged to China under the United States disposal.The United States and Japan conducted backroom deals concerning the "power of administration" over Diaoyu Island,and finally became disputes for China and Japan.The United States took a neutral position with regard to the competing Japanese and Chinese claims to the islands,despite the return of administrative rights over the islands to Japan.In fact,the United States pursued to escape the historical responsibility.The United States and Japan conducted backroom deals concerning Chinese territory,which was a red rag to Chinese.At the beginning,Chinese Mainland had not improved and established diplomatic relations with the United States and Japan,and what's worse,China's seat in the United Nations belongs to Taiwan during this time,so the Chinese government was limited on diplomatic measures.Even though,the Chinese government and scholars were positive to discuss countermeasures,and issued diplomatic statements,which pointed out that the Diaoyu Island Islands have been an indivisible part of the Chinese territory since ancient times.As China and Japan were normalizing relations and concluding the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship,the then leaders of the two countries,acting in the larger interest of China-Japan relations,reached important understanding and consensus on "leaving the issue of Diaoyu Island to be resolved later".After then,the event of Diaoyu Island ships was happened,and the Chinese leader resolve it quickly.Deng Xiaoping and other leaders reiterate "shelving differences and seeking joint development" on Diaoyu Island,and reached consensus with the Japanese leaders.One of the direct reason of Diaoyu Island problem is the finding of potential oil nearby.Under the government of the United States and Japan's instigation and support,the government of Ryukyu stated its "sovereign rights" over Diaoyu Island after the war,and set boundary markers on Diaoyu Island.As response to actions of the government of the United States and Ryukyu,the authority of Taiwan make measures to deal.But the authority of Taiwan lay its emphasis on cooperation with American oil company for petroleum production.When dispute of Diaoyu Island changed to be much more serious,the authority of Taiwan was forced by Defend Diaoyu Island Movement to take firm standpoint for claiming sovereignty over Diaoyu Island.The authority of Taiwan pended negotiations with the United States,but did not change the fact of the backroom deals between the United States and Japan over Diaoyu Island.Since 1970s the understanding and consensus reached between the older generation of leaders of the two countries,the diplomatic relations developed smoothly,except that Japan's right-wing forces made aggressive behaviors.However,in the new century many Japanese leaders and right-wing forces create conflicts and disputes on Diaoyu Island in order to achieve political aims.Japan conducted in particular the so-called "nationalization" of Diaoyu Island in 2012,which escalated dispute of Diaoyu Island rapidly.China took tough strategy to smash Japan's "single governance",realizing "cross governance" on Diaoyu Island.Meanwhile,Japan took countermeasures and the United States put strategic resources in Asia-Pacific seeking for more rights.Diaoyu Island was much more complicated in China-United States-Japan competitive relations.We should know that Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands are not some isolated islands in East China Sea.Diaoyu Island has been transformed from event to symbol.This symbol highlights sovereign disputes between China and Japan,complex of patriotism and nationalism,memory of the World War ?,and games of great powers in East Asia.Anyway,we should have broad views and strategic sights to explore the problem of Diaoyu Island.From the vertical perspective,we should learn its causes and results by means of long term method;from the horizontal perspective,we should put it in games of national interests under changes of international pattern.Dispute of Diaoyu Island continues to drag on,and now it is not clear for how to resolve it.But we should repair the house before it rains.Personally speaking,as for Diaoyu Island,cooperation between the two sides is our fortune;the government of Chinese and Japanese should seek for peaceful resolution,and avoid Zero-sum game;China should develop national power against unexpected needs.