On Monday, China released a report assessing the topographic and geographic details of Diaoyu and its affiliated islands. The islands are also claimed by Japan, who refers to them as the Senkaku islands.
On a special website that was created by Beijing’s Ministry of Natural Resources in eight languages, the ministry published a survey report on the topography and geography of the “Diaoyu Dao.” According to the ministry, which was set up in 2018, the intention behind publishing the survey was to obtain geographic data for the latest topographic maps. The ministry also claimed that the survey has further improved the basic data system of the islands and plays an important role in the resource management and ecological protection of the islands.
According to various Chinese experts, the latest report was “a strong message that reaffirmed China’s sovereignty over the islands to the world with facts, openness, and transparency,” and also “warned Japan and the US [United States] that their collusion will face consequences if they fail to respect China’s stance on the issue.”
The US has been known to support Japan in defence-related issues, especially against China. The US has a mutual defence treaty with Japan and is obligated to defend it if Japanese territory is attacked by a foreign power. Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin met with their counterparts in Tokyo, where, in his meeting with Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Blinken “reaffirmed the vital importance of the US-Japan alliance to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region”. During their talks, the secretaries also expressed the US’ “unwavering commitment to the defence of Japan”, which includes the Senkaku Islands, and said that the US opposed “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea.” In response, China asked the US to stop interfering in its “internal affairs”.
The uninhabited island chain, known as Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyus in China is located about 1,931 kilometres southwest of Tokyo and has been administered by Japan since 1972. However, China asserts that the islands are an “inherent part” of Chinese territory, saying that its claims to the isles date back hundreds of years. Though Beijing’s territorial claims have been dismissed as baseless and even illegal by several states and international bodies, it has continued building artificial islands in the region.
China Publishes Report Asserting Sovereignty Over Disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands
While Japan intensifies its alliance with the US, China has reaffirmed its authority over the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands by publishing a report on the islands’ terrain.
April 27, 2021
SOURCE: TOKYO REVIEW