China’s recognition prior to 1971

History and Culture

1953 – 1992
Before 1971, China regarded the Senkaku Islands as Japanese territory.

For the approximately 75 years from the incorporation of the Senkaku Islands into Japanese territory in 1895, until the possibility of oil reserves in the East China Sea was raised and attention was drawn to the Senkaku Islands in the 1970s, the Chinese Government had never raised any objections to Japan’s internationally established sovereignty over the islands. Sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands was only officially declared by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 1971, and by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 1971.

An editorial published in 1953 by the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, the People’s Daily, stated that the Ryukyu Islands consist of seven groups of islands including the Senkaku Islands. This shows that, at the time, the Chinese Communist Party recognized the Senkaku Islands as a part of Okinawa and not as a part of Taiwan.

The Senkaku Islands had not been included in laws and ordinances related to Chinese territory

In 1958, China promulgated the “Declaration on China’s Territorial Sea.” While this decree mentioned the islands of the South China Sea, it did not make any mention of the Senkaku Islands. It was only when China enacted the new Law on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone in 1992 that the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands) were mentioned in Chinese law, specifically “Taiwan and all islands appertaining thereto including the Diaoyu Islands.”

“Taiwan and its surrounding islands” (underlined in red) in the Declaration on China’s Territorial Sea of 1958

中华人民共和国政府宣布
(一) 中华人民共和国的领海宽度为12海里。这项规定适用于中华人民共和国的一切领土，包括中国大陆及其沿海岛屿，和同大陆及其沿海岛屿隔有公海的台湾及其周围各岛、澎湖列岛、东沙群岛、西沙群岛、中沙群岛、南沙群岛以及其他属于中国的岛屿。

“Taiwan and all islands appertaining thereto including the Diaoyu Islands” (underlined in red) in the Law on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone of 1992

第二条中华人民共和国领海为邻接中华人民共和国陆地领土和内水的一带海域。
　中华人民共和国的陆地领土包括中华人民共和国大陆及其沿海岛屿、台湾及其包括钓鱼岛在内的附属各岛、澎湖列岛、东沙群岛、西沙群岛、中沙群岛、南沙群岛以及其他一切属于中华人民共和国的岛屿。
　中华人民共和国领海基线向陆地一侧的水域为中华人民共和国的内水。

Source: Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China

From an individual donor

The article on the fourth page states that the Ryukyu Islands consist ofseven groups of islands, including the Senkaku Islands (dated January 8, 1953).