China queries legitimacy of Japan’s claim

China Thursday expressed "strong dissatisfaction and stern opposition" over Japanese leaders' "obstinately sticking to the false stance" on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks in a written statement following Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's insistence that no territorial issue exists over the Diaoyu Islands.

"There are no territorial issues as such. Therefore, there cannot be any compromise that represents a retreat from this position," Noda told a news conference in New York Wednesday after attending the UN General Assembly, reported Reuters.

In the strongly worded statement, Qin said China has sufficient historical evidence and legal sbasis to prove the islands have been an inseparable part of Chinese territory since ancient times, Xinhua reported.

After World War II, China took back all the territories that were invaded and occupied by Japan, including Taiwan, according to international legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, Qin said, explaining that such a move indicates the Diaoyu Islands were returned to China's sovereignty in terms of international law.

"A defeated country wants to illegally occupy the territory of a victorious nation," Qin stated. "Where is the justice?" he asked.

"In consideration of both history and international law, the Japanese side should immediately cease all actions that infringe on China's territorial sovereignty, instead of making one mistake after another and deceiving the world," Qin said.

During a speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Noda called for strengthening the rule of law to resolve conflicts peacefully, without naming China or South Korea directly, reported the Kyodo News.

The Kyodo News said that Noda clearly tried to win international support for Japan's position by taking the rare step of raising territorial issues during the general debate.

Responding to Noda's address, Qin said, "This is self-deceiving. The country concerned must face up to history and earnestly abide by international legal principles, and cease all actions that infringe on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other countries."

Zhou Hongjun, a professor at the International Law Faculty at the East China University of Politics and Law, slammed Noda's reference to international law as "absurd," noting that Japan couldn't compete with China over the ownership of the islets on a historical or legal basis.

"Japan was chopping logic at the general debate to confuse the international community," said Zhou.

According to the Kyodo News, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said Wednesday that Japan has decided to seek support from the international community for its position over the Diaoyu Islands as a major shift in its public relations policy.

"Although Japan has refrained from sending a message to the international community based on its view that no territorial issue exists, I informed (the Foreign Ministry) that we had better make a policy change," Gemba told reporters in New York after attending UN-related events.

Kyodo said that it is the first time Gemba has explicitly mentioned a policy shift on the promotion of Japan's position on the territorial row.

Yang Bojiang, a professor with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that the policy shift actually contradicts Tokyo's insistence that no territorial issue exists over the Diaoyu Islands.

Yang noted that China shouldn't ignore Japan's PR campaign, which projected itself as a victim amid the rows with China. Since some of the protests against Japan's unilateral move turned violent in China, it may worsen China's image, said Yang.

"Many bilateral disputes are not confined to the two countries involved. Some of them may rise to a multilateral stage and affect our international image. Therefore, we should also reinforce the promotion of our stance to take the initiative in international opinion," said Yang.