一、钓鱼岛是中国的固有领土

I.Diaoyu Dao is China's Inherent Territory

钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿位于中国台湾岛的东北部，是台湾的附属岛屿，分布在东经123°20′－124°40′，北纬25°40′－26°00′之间的海域，由钓鱼岛、黄尾屿、赤尾屿、南小岛、北小岛、南屿、北屿、飞屿等岛礁组成，总面积约5.69平方千米。钓鱼岛位于该海域的最西端，面积约3.91平方千米，是该海域面积最大的岛屿，主峰海拔362米。黄尾屿位于钓鱼岛东北约27千米，面积约0.91平方千米，是该海域的第二大岛，最高海拔117米。赤尾屿位于钓鱼岛东北约110千米，是该海域最东端的岛屿，面积约0.065平方千米，最高海拔75米。

Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands, which consist of Diaoyu Dao, Huangwei Yu, Chiwei Yu, Nanxiao Dao, Beixiao Dao, Nan Yu, Bei Yu, Fei Yu and other islands and reefs, are located to the northeast of China's Taiwan Island, in the waters between 123o20'-124o40'E (East Longitude) and 25o40'-26o00'N (North Latitude), and are affiliated to the Taiwan Island. The total landmass of these islands is approximately 5.69 square kilometers.

Diaoyu Dao, situated in the western tip of the area, covers a landmass of about 3.91 square kilometers and is the largest island in the area. The highest peak on the island stands 362 meters above the sea level. Huangwei Yu, which is located about 27 kilometers to the northeast of Diaoyu Dao, is the second largest island in the area, with a total landmass of about 0.91 square kilometers and a highest elevation of 117 meters. Chiwei Yu, situated about 110 kilometers to the northeast of Diaoyu Dao, is the easternmost island in the area. It covers a landmass of approximately 0.065 square kilometers and stands 75 meters above the sea level at its peak.

(一)中国最先发现、命名和利用钓鱼岛

1. Diaoyu Dao was first discovered, named and exploited by China

中国古代先民在经营海洋和从事海上渔业的实践中，最早发现钓鱼岛并予以命名。在中国古代文献中，钓鱼岛又称钓鱼屿、钓鱼台。目前所见最早记载钓鱼岛、赤尾屿等地名的史籍，是成书于1403年(明永乐元年)的《顺风相送》。这表明，早在十四、十五世纪中国就已经发现并命名了钓鱼岛。

Ancient ancestors in China first discovered and named Diaoyu Dao through their production and fishery activities on the sea. In China's historical literatures, Diaoyu Dao is also called Diaoyu Yu or Diaoyu Tai. The earliest historical record of the names of Diaoyu Dao, Chiwei Yu and other places can be found in the book Voyage with a Tail Wind (Shun Feng Xiang Song) published in 1403 (the first year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty). It shows that China had already discovered and named Diaoyu Dao by the 14th and 15th centuries.

1372年(明洪武五年)，琉球国王向明朝朝贡，明太祖遣使前往琉球。至1866年(清同治五年)近500年间，明清两代朝廷先后24次派遣使臣前往琉球王国册封，钓鱼岛是册封使前往琉球的途经之地，有关钓鱼岛的记载大量出现在中国使臣撰写的报告中。如，明朝册封使陈侃所著《使琉球录》(1534年)明确记载“过钓鱼屿，过黄毛屿，过赤屿，……见古米山，乃属琉球者”。明朝册封使郭汝霖所著《使琉球录》(1562年)记载，“赤屿者，界琉球地方山也”。清朝册封副使徐葆光所著《中山传信录》(1719年)明确记载，从福建到琉球，经花瓶屿、彭佳屿、钓鱼岛、黄尾屿、赤尾屿，“取姑米山(琉球西南方界上镇山)、马齿岛，入琉球那霸港”。

In 1372 (the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty), the King of Ryukyu started paying tribute to the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty. In return, Emperor Hongwu (the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty) sent imperial envoys to Ryukyu. In the following five centuries until 1866 (the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty), the imperial courts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties sent imperial envoys to Ryukyu 24 times to confer titles on the Ryukyu King, and Diaoyu Dao was exactly located on their route to Ryukyu. Ample volume of records about Diaoyu Dao could be found in the reports written by Chinese imperial envoys at the time. For example, the Records of the Imperial Title-conferring Envoys to Ryukyu (Shi Liu Qiu Lu) written in 1534 by Chen Kan, an imperial title-conferring envoy from the Ming court, clearly stated that "the ship has passed Diaoyu Dao, Huangmao Yu, Chi Yu... Then Gumi Mountain comes into sight, that is where the land of Ryukyu begins." The Shi Liu Qiu Lu of another imperial envoy of the Ming Dynasty, Guo Rulin, in 1562 also stated that "Chi Yu is the mountain that marks the boundary of Ryukyu". In 1719, Xu Baoguang, a deputy title-conferring envoy to Ryukyu in the Qing Dynasty, clearly recorded in his book Records of Messages from Chong-shan (Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu) that the voyage from Fujian to Ryukyu passed Huaping Yu, Pengjia Yu, Diaoyu Dao, Huangwei Yu, Chiwei Yu and reached Naba (Naha) port of Ryukyu via Gumi Mountain (the mountain guarding the southwest border of Ryukyu) and Machi Island.

1650年，琉球国相向象贤监修的琉球国第一部正史《中山世鉴》记载，古米山（亦称姑米山，今久米岛）是琉球的领土，而赤屿（今赤尾屿）及其以西则非琉球领土。1708年，琉球学者、紫金大夫程顺则所著《指南广义》记载，姑米山为“琉球西南界上之镇山”。

In 1650, the Annals of Chong-shan (Zhong Shan Shi Jian), the first official historical record of the Ryukyu Kingdom drafted under the supervision of Ryukyu's prime minister Xiang Xiangxian (Kozoken), confirmed that Gumi Mountain (also called Gumi Mountain, known as Kume Island today) is part of Ryukyu's territory, while Chi Yu (known as Chiwei Yu today) and the areas to its west are not Ryukyu's territory. In 1708, Cheng Shunze (Tei Junsoku), a noted scholar and the Grand Master with the Purple-Golden Ribbon (Zi Jin Da Fu) of Ryukyu, recorded in his book A General Guide (Zhi Nan Guang Yi) that "Gumi Mountain is the mountain guarding the southwest border of Ryukyu".

以上史料清楚记载着钓鱼岛、赤尾屿属于中国，久米岛属于琉球，分界线在赤尾屿和久米岛之间的黑水沟(今冲绳海槽)。明朝册封副使谢杰所著《琉球录撮要补遗》(1579年)记载，“去由沧水入黑水，归由黑水入沧水”。明朝册封使夏子阳所著《使琉球录》(1606年)记载，“水离黑入沧，必是中国之界”。清朝册封使汪辑所著《使琉球杂录》(1683年)记载，赤屿之外的“黑水沟”即是“中外之界”。清朝册封副使周煌所著《琉球国志略》(1756年)记载，琉球“海面西距黑水沟，与闽海界”。

These historical accounts clearly demonstrate that Diaoyu Dao and Chiwei Yu belong to China and Kume Island belongs to Ryukyu, and that the separating line lies in Hei Shui Gou (today's Okinawa Trough) between Chiwei Yu and Kume Island. In 1579, Xie Jie, a deputy imperial title-conferring envoy of the Ming Dynasty, recorded in his book, Addendum to Summarized Record of Ryukyu (Liu Qiu Lu Cuo Yao Bu Yi) that he entered Ryukyu from Cang Shui to Hei Shui, and returned to China from Hei Shui to Cang Shui. Xia Ziyang, another imperial envoy of the Ming court, wrote in 1606 that "when the water flows from Hei Shui back to Cang Shui, it enters the Chinese territory." Miscellaneous Records of a Mission to Ryukyu (Shi Liu Qiu Za Lu), a book written in 1683 by Wang Ji, an imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, stated that "Hei Shui Gou", situated outside Chi Yu, is the "boundary between China and foreign land". In 1756, Zhou Huang, a deputy imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, recorded in his book, the Annals of Ryukyu (Liu Qiu Guo Zhi Lue), that Ryukyu "is separated from the waters of Fujian by Hei Shui Gou to the west".

钓鱼岛海域是中国的传统渔场，中国渔民世世代代在该海域从事渔业生产活动。钓鱼岛作为航海标志，在历史上被中国东南沿海民众广泛利用。

The waters surrounding Diaoyu Dao are traditionally Chinese fishing ground. Chinese fishermen have, for generations, engaged in fishery activities in these waters. In the past, Diaoyu Dao was used as a navigation marker by the Chinese people living on the southeast coast.