Diaoyu map goes on sale

A thematic map of the Diaoyu Islands has gone on sale in three major bookstores in Beijing, SinoMaps Press, which compiled and issued the map, said Wednesday.

"The first batch of 50,000 maps is still being printed in Langfang, [Hebei Province] but 1,000 maps were sent to the bookstores in Xidan, Wangfujing and Zhongguancun," said a staff member, surnamed Chi, from the SinoMaps Press distribution department. The maps arrived in stores around 7 pm Wednesday.

Chi told the Global Times that the map is expected to sell well because many bookstores from all over the country have called to place orders.

The map, priced at 6 yuan ($0.95), is based on aerial photography from July over the islands, said Zhou Tao, director with the business management center of SinoMaps Press.

"The focus of the map is the Diaoyu Islands. Only part of the Chinese mainland and part of Taiwan appear on the map," said Zhou.

This is the first time that the names of all 70 affiliated islands in the Diaoyu chain have been marked, as well as the baselines of the territorial waters on a publicly published map of China, Zhou noted.

"Many Chinese people only know the name of the Diaoyu Islands and have no idea of their size, shape and location. Making this map helps people know more about them," he said.

In Wangfujing Bookstore, Dongcheng district, on Wednesday afternoon, in the space of about two hours, several people asked if the map was available yet.

A man in his 40s, surnamed Ying, said he intended to buy one.

"I'm interested in the map which particularly details the Diaoyu Islands," he said.

"It is also a good way to affirm the country's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands in the current political atmosphere," he said.

Another man at the Wangfujing store, surnamed Li, had waited for an hour to buy 20 maps.

"I'll send them to my friends because the map is very meaningful," he said.

A salesperson in Zhongguancun Book Building, Haidian district, surnamed Yu, said that some customers had already been there to pre-order some 20 maps.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Tuesday that issuing the map is another concrete measure taken by the Chinese government to enhance its administration of the Diaoyu Islands, the Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday.