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China has urged Japan to stop violating the country's sovereignty over Diaoyu Islands by anchoring vessels near them, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said yesterday.

"Any move by Japan to control the islands is violating China's sovereignty over its territory, (it) is illegal ..." Jiang Yu told a regular briefing. "(Japan) should stop it immediately."

China's sovereignty over the islands is "beyond question", she said.

Tokyo lays claim to the five small non-volcanic islands that lie between Chinese Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa.

On Wednesday, Tokyo-based Sankei Shimbun reported that Japan's Coast Guard had anchored patrol vessels in the waters of Diaoyu Islands to "prevent Chinese investigative ships from invading" the islands.

Japan's display of power in the waters of Diaoyu Islands will not help fulfill its ambition of controlling the islands, said Tsinghua University's Liu Jiangyong, an expert on Japan studies.

But it has intensified the dispute.

"Japan is eyeing the potential oil reserves in the region to expand its exclusive economic zone. But in my view, it's impossible for it to achieve that because international laws don't allow a country to use uninhabited islands to enlarge its economic zone," Liu said.

"The only way to break the deadlock is through dialogue."

Questions:

1. Where are the islands located?

2. According to the Sankei Shimbun, why had the Japanese Coast Guard anchored patrol vessels in the waters of Diaoyu Islands?

3. According to a Tsinghua expert, why would the Japanese be interested in the islands?

Answers:

1. Between Chinese Taiwan and Japan’s Okinawa.

2. To prevent Chinese investigative ships from invading.

3. For the potential oil reserves and to expand its exclusive economic zone.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.

He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.