Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at Monday's regular press conference that the Diaoyu Dao and their affiliated islands are China's inherent territory since ancient times. The historical context and legal basis for China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Dao are clear and well-established. 

These remarks were made in response to a media inquiry over the Japanese government's addition of three so-called "historical documents proving the Diaoyu Dao's sovereignty" at the "National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty" in Tokyo in an attempt to justify its illegal claim over the Diaoyu Dao.

Evidence on this matter — including diplomatic archives, maps, and articles by historians within Japan itself — is abundant. Japan went to great lengths to collect selective and unconvincing so-called historical materials, which only underscores the fact that its illegal claims are fundamentally untenable, said the spokesperson.

Global Times