Source:Xinhua Published: 2012-10-31 16:47:52
It is undoubtedly legal for China's marine surveillance fleet to expel Japanese vessels recently caught sailing illegally in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands, which are part of China's territory.
A fleet comprising four marine surveillance ships encountered the Japanese vessels around 10 am Tuesday on a routine patrol.
The fleet radioed the Japanese vessels to reiterate China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and ordered them to leave the area.
Patrolling China's territory and expelling illegal vessels are the responsibilities of Chinese marine surveillance ships and their actions are taken in accordance with international law.
China pursues a policy of friendship and partnership with its neighboring countries. But it will not hesitate to take action to protect its sovereignty when foreign ships are illegally sailing in its waters.
Historical facts and international laws have proven that the Diaoyu Islands are an integral part of China's territory. China's firm stance on the sovereignty of the islands should never be ignored.
Should anyone want to challenge China's position on the issue of sovereignty, China will have no alternative but to remove disturbances and move steadily on the path of peaceful development.
If Japan continues to maintain illusions regarding China's resolve, refuses to admit the dispute over the Diaoyu Islands and continues its illegal patrolling in the area, more confrontations between the two sides are likely to emerge.
The responsibility is on the Japanese side.
Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba on Tuesday reiterated his desire to calm the row with China over the Diaoyu Islands while maintaining Tokyo's position that no territorial dispute officially exists, according to media reports.
It is self-deceiving for Japan to allege that there is no dispute over the islands.
Japan's refusal to admit the dispute defies historical facts.
Be it from a historical, geographical or jurisprudential perspective, the Diaoyu Islands remain an inherent part of Chinese territory.
The Japanese government's "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands, which was announced on September 10, constituted a grave violation of China's territorial sovereignty.
The move has had severe repercussions on China-Japan relations, according to Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun.
The Japanese government has not only denied the dispute, but also refused to acknowledge an agreement to shelve the dispute that was reached by the former leaders of the two countries in the 1970s.
Japan should realize that admitting the dispute and returning to the negotiation table are preconditions for improving ties.
If Japan really wants to restore Sino-Japan relations, it should face up to its wrongdoing committed in history and at present and stop all actions that undermine China's territorial sovereignty.
The Japanese side should not miscalculate the situation or underestimate the will and resolve of the Chinese government and people to defend China's territorial sovereignty.