Japan claims 1960 Chinese map shows disputed Senkaku Islands as Japanese territory

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (ANI): Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba has rebutted China's claims to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, noting that a Chinese map published in 1960 depicted the islands as Japanese territory.

The territorial dispute, which has intensified since the central government purchased three of the five main islands from their private owners, has shown no sign of abating as neither side is willing to shift its position.

According to the Japan Times, at a news conference, Genba reiterated Japan's stance that China, which calls the islands Diaoyu, began asserting its territorial sovereignty over the islands in the 1970s, suggesting China previously had not viewed the group as part of its territory.

The islands have been under Japanese control since 1895, except for a brief period during the Allied Occupation.

As further proof, Genba cited a letter of appreciation sent to a Japanese individual from the then consul of the Republic of China in Nagasaki in 1920 that described the islands as the "Senkaku Islands, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture."

The Chinese map of the world showed the islets as part of Japan, according to information on the Foreign Ministry's website.

According to the report, China claims that the islands have been part of its territory since ancient times and that Japan 'stole' them from China in 1895 at the end of the Sino-Japanese War. (ANI)