China releases documentary on disputed Diaoyu Islands, challenging Japan's claim

China Global Television Network (CGTN) has released a new documentary, "Diaoyu Dao: Small Islands, Big Stakes," reigniting a long-standing territorial dispute with Japan over the islands China administers as the Diaoyu and Japan calls the Senkaku.

The first part of the series, released Monday, delves into the historical, legal, and contemporary aspects of the uninhabited islets. CGTN's narrative asserts that historical texts and maps prove China's initial discovery and naming of the islands, which were subsequently ceded to Japan under the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki after the First Sino-Japanese War.

Beijing's position, as presented in the documentary, is that Japan is obligated to return the islands based on the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, foundational documents of the post-World War II international order. However, Japan contests this interpretation, arguing that historical maps do not determine sovereignty. Tokyo maintains that China did not control the islands before 1895 and that they were not subject to the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Japan further supports its claim with the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty and the 1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement with the United States.

The documentary preview acknowledges that "some scholars argue that key legal questions arising from these agreements remain unresolved," highlighting the ongoing complexity and contention surrounding the islands' ownership.

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Some scholars argue that key legal questions arising from these agreements remain unresolved.