文档介绍：Module: Contemporary China x Hong Kong Today
Chapter 172: Sovereignty Controversy and Fight for Diaoyutai Islands
Written: Florence Wan
Diaoyutai Islands Controversy
Disputes over the Diaoyutai Islands have once again e a hot potato in society recently. In early May protesters will be demonstrating and travelling to the Islands to claim sovereignty. The question of who owns the Diaoyutai Islands first surfaced in 1970s and remains up until today, touching upon a variety of issues including history, politics, multilateral diplomacy, international management conventions and petition. Over the years, there have been inter-national arguments, community voyage to the Islands and nationalistic resistance. Some people were arrested while others died. How did this 40-year-old e about in the first place? What are the moot points? Why has it been reignited?
Beginning of Disputed Sovereignty
The Diaoyutai Islands are located northeast of Taiwan in southern East China Sea and are uninhabited. The surrounding waters are rich in oil and fish production. The Chinese, the Japanese and the Taiwanese governments have all claimed the Islands. The sovereignty disputes over the Senkaku Islands started off after the First Sino-Japanese War (中日甲午戰爭). After losing the war, the Qing government signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki (Treaty of Maguan) and ceded to Japan the full sovereignty of Taiw