China corrects Japan on treaty's Diaoyu implications

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China has urged Japan to squarely face the history and respect the fact following a Japanese official's justifying Japan's claims to the Diaoyu Islands based on the so-called San Francisco Peace Treaty

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press conference on Thursday that the Chinese government regards the so-called San Francisco Peace Treaty as illegal and invalid and therefore will definitely not recognize it.

Hong made the remark after Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide on Wednesday said the Diaoyu Islands had been Japanese territories even before the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895 and before the release of the Potsdam Proclamation at the end of the World War II. He claimed that Japan's territories are legally defined by the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which served to officially end World War II upon its signing in 1952.

Hong, however, said historical records on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands are clear. In 1895, Japan took advantage of the foreseeable defeat of the Qing court in the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) to covertly include the Diaoyu Islands in its territories.

"This is an illegal act of theft," he said.

Afterwards, Japan forced the Qing court to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki, and cede to Japan the island of Formosa (Taiwan), as well as the Diaoyu Islands and all other islands appertaining or belonging to the island of Formosa, according to the spokesman.

Leaders of the United States, Britain and China signed the Cairo Declaration in December 1943, which stated that all the territories Japan had stolen from the Chinese should be restored to China.

We Recommend:
Analysis:'Chindia' has great potential	Taiwan demands Filipino apology	Defense of sexual slavery angers Beijing
Maritime dispute to be addressed	China, India to make new engine of world economy	Chinese President to visit Latin America