钓鱼岛问题英译.doc

Regardless of repeated strong representations of the Chinese side, the Japanese government announced on 10 September 2012 the "purchase" of the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated Nan Xiaodao and Bei Xiaodao and the implementation of the so-called "nationalization" of the islands. This constitutes a gross violation of China's sovereignty over its own territory and is highly offensive to the 1.3 billion Chinese people. It seriously tramples on historical facts and international jurisprudence. The Chinese government and people express firm opposition to and strong protest against the Japanese move.

The Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have been China's sacred territory since ancient times. This is supported by historical facts and jurisprudential evidence. The Diaoyu Islands were first discovered, named and exploited by the Chinese people. Chinese fishermen had long been engaged in production activities on these islands and in their adjacent waters. The Diaoyu Islands have been put under the jurisdiction of China's naval defense as affiliated islands of Taiwan, China since the Ming Dynasty. The Diaoyu Islands have never been "terra nullius". China is the indisputable owner of the Diaoyu Islands.

In 1895, as the Qing government's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War was all but certain, Japan illegally occupied the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands. After that, Japan forced the Qing government to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki and cede to Japan "the island of Formosa (Taiwan), together with all islands appertaining or belonging to the said island of Formosa". After the end of the Second World War, China recovered the territories invaded and occupied by Japan such as Taiwan and the Penghu Islands in accordance with the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation. According to international law, the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have already been returned to China. Facts are facts, and history is not to be reversed. Japan's position on the issue of the Diaoyu Island is an outright denial of the outcomes of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and constitutes a grave challenge to the post-war international order.

In 1951, the Treaty of Peace with Japan (commonly known as the Treaty of San Francisco, a treaty partial in nature) was signed between Japan, the United States and other countries, placing the Ryukyu Islands (known as Okinawa today) under the trusteeship of the United States. In 1953, the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands arbitrarily expanded its jurisdiction to include the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands, which are in fact Chinese territories. In 1971, Japan and the United States signed the Okinawa Reversion Agreement, which arbitrarily included the Diaoyu Islands in the territories and territorial waters to be reversed to Japan. The Chinese government has, from the very beginning, firmly opposed and never acknowledged such backroom deals between Japan and the United States concerning Chinese territories. The claims of the Japanese government that the Diaoyu Island is Japan's inherent territory and that there is no outstanding territorial dispute between Japan and China showed total disregard of historical facts and jurisprudential evidence and are absolutely untenable.

During the negotiations on the normalization of China-Japan relations in 1972 and on the signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1978, the then leaders of the two countries, acting in the larger interest of China-Japan relations, reached important understanding and common ground on "leaving the issue of the Diaoyu Island to be resolved later". This opened the door to normalization of China-Japan relations and was followed by tremendous progress in China-Japan relations and stability and tranquility in East Asia in the following 40 years. Now, if the Japanese authorities should deny and negate the previous common understanding reached between the two countries, then how could the situation of the Diaoyu Island remain stable? How could China-Japan relations continue to grow smoothly? And how could Japan ever win trust from its neighbors and people of the world?

The Japanese government has repeatedly stirred up troubles in recent years on the issue of the Diaoyu Island. Particularly since the start of the year, the Japanese government has endorsed rightwing forces to clamor for the "purchase" of the Diaoyu Island and some of its affiliated islands in an attempt to pave the way for a government "purchase" of the islands. People have reason to believe that what Japan did regarding the Diaoyu Island was nothing accidental. The political tendency these actions point to may well put people on the alert. We cannot but ask: where is Japan heading to? Can anyone rest assured of Japan's future course of development?

The Chinese government has always attached importance to developing relations with Japan. China and Japan and the Chinese and Japanese peoples can live together only in friendship, not confrontation. To advance the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples and is conducive to peace, stability and development of the region. Yet, to ensure sound and stable development of China-Japan relations, the Japanese side needs to work together and move in the same direction with China. The "purchase" of the Diaoyu Island by the Japanese government runs counter to the goal of upholding the larger interest of China-Japan relations.

The Chinese government solemnly states that the Japanese government's so-called "purchase" of the Diaoyu Island is totally illegal and invalid. It does not change, not even in the slightest way, the historical fact of Japan's occupation of Chinese territory, nor will it alter China's territorial sovereignty over the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands. Long gone are the days when the Chinese nation was subject to bullying and humiliation from others. The Chinese government will not sit idly by watching its territorial sovereignty being infringed upon. The Chinese side strongly urges the Japanese side to immediately stop all actions that may undermine China's territorial sovereignty. Japan should truly come back to the very understanding and common ground reached between the two sides, and should return to the track of negotiated settlement of the dispute. Should the Japanese side insist on going its own way, it shall have to bear all serious consequences arising therefrom.

2012年9月10日，日本政府不顾中方一再严正交涉，宣布“购买”钓鱼岛及其附属的南小岛和北小岛，实施所谓“国有化”。这是对中国领土主权的严重侵犯，是对13亿中国人民感情的严重伤害，是对历史事实和国际法理的严重践踏。中国政府和人民对此表示坚决反对和强烈抗议。

钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿自古以来就是中国的神圣领土，有史为凭、有法为据。钓鱼岛等岛屿是中国人最早发现、命名和利用的，中国渔民历来在这些岛屿及其附近海域从事生产活动。早在明朝，钓鱼岛等岛屿就已经纳入中国海防管辖范围，是中国台湾的附属岛屿。钓鱼岛从来就不是什么“无主地”，中国是钓鱼岛等岛屿无可争辩的主人。

1895年，日本在甲午战争末期，趁清政府败局已定，非法窃取钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿。随后，日本强迫清政府签订不平等的《马关条约》，割让“台湾全岛及所有附属各岛屿”。第二次世界大战结束后，根据《开罗宣言》和《波茨坦公告》，中国收回日本侵占的台湾、澎湖列岛等领土，钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿在国际法上业已回归中国。历史不容翻案。日本在钓鱼岛问题上的立场，是对世界反法西斯战争胜利成果的公然否定，是对战后国际秩序的严重挑战。

1951年，日本同美国等国家签订片面的“旧金山和约”，将琉球群岛（即现在的冲绳）交由美国管理。1953年，美国琉球民政府擅自扩大管辖范围，将中国领土钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿裹挟其中。1971年，日、美两国在“归还冲绳协定”中又擅自把钓鱼岛等岛屿列入“归还区域”。中国政府对日、美这种私相授受中国领土的做法从一开始就坚决反对，不予承认。日本政府所谓钓鱼岛是日本的固有领土，日中之间不存在需要解决的领土争端，完全是罔顾史实和法理，是完全站不住脚的。

1972年中日邦交正常化和1978年缔结和平友好条约谈判过程中，两国老一辈领导人着眼大局，就“钓鱼岛问题放一放，留待以后解决”达成重要谅解和共识。中日邦交正常化的大门由此开启，中日关系才有了40年的巨大发展，东亚地区才有了40年的稳定与安宁。如果日本当局对两国当年的共识矢口否认，一笔勾销，那么钓鱼岛局势还如何能保持稳定？中日关系今后还如何能顺利发展？日本还如何能取信于邻国和世人？

近年来，日本政府在钓鱼岛问题上不断挑起事端，特别是今年以来姑息纵容右翼势力掀起“购岛”风波，以为自己出面“购岛”铺路搭桥。人们有理由认为，日方在钓鱼岛问题上的所作所为绝不是偶然的，它所反映出来的政治趋向是很值得警惕的。我们不禁要问，日本到底要向何处去？日本未来走向能让人放心吗？

中国政府始终重视发展中日关系。中日两国和两国人民只能友好相处，不能彼此作对。推进中日战略互惠关系符合两国和两国人民的根本利益，有利于维护本地区和平、稳定与发展大局。但是中日关系的健康稳定发展需要日方同中方相向而行、共同努力。日本政府的“购岛”行为是同维护中日关系大局背道而驰的。

中国政府严正声明，日本政府的所谓“购岛”完全是非法的、无效的，丝毫改变不了日本侵占中国领土的历史事实，丝毫改变不了中国对钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿的领土主权。中华民族任人欺凌的时代已经一去不复返了。中国政府不会坐视领土主权受到侵犯。中方强烈敦促日方立即停止一切损害中国领土主权的行为，不折不扣地回到双方达成的共识和谅解上来，回到谈判解决争议的轨道上来。如果日方一意孤行，由此造成的一切严重后果只能由日方承担。