尖閣諸島の日 中国に負けない対外発信力を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 15, 2011)
Make Japan's voice heard over Senkakus
尖閣諸島の日　中国に負けない対外発信力を（1月14日付・読売社説）

The city government of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, has designated Jan. 14 to commemorate the integration of the Senkaku Islands into Japanese territory.
　きょう１４日は沖縄県石垣市が定めた「尖閣諸島開拓の日」である。

The date was chosen because the government decided on Jan. 14, 1895, to formally incorporate the islands into Okinawa Prefecture.
The Ishigaki government made the designation in an ordinance enacted late last year.
　１８９５年（明治２８年）のこの日、政府が尖閣諸島を沖縄県に編入したことにちなみ、昨年末、市が条例で制定した。

The government in the late 19th century spent more than 10 years confirming through surveys that the Senkaku Islands were not under the jurisdiction of any particular country.
　政府は当時、尖閣諸島がどの国にも帰属しないことを１０年に及ぶ調査で確認した。

The Qing Dynasty of China (1644-1912) did not object to this finding.
中国の清朝も何ら異議を唱えなかった。

When the islands were placed under the administration of the United States in accordance with the San Francisco Peace Treaty that came into effect in 1952, China and Taiwan raised no questions.
　１９５２年のサンフランシスコ平和条約発効により、尖閣諸島が米国の施政下に入った際も、中国と台湾は全く反応しなかった。

A map and an article carried on a bulletin of the Chinese Communist Party even indicated that China recognized the islands were Japanese territory.
尖閣諸島を日本領と認識していたことを示す地図や中国共産党機関紙の記事まで残っている。

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Restraint drowned out

It was in 1970--75 years after Japan formally incorporated the Senkaku Islands into its territory--that China began claiming ownership of the islets.
Beijing only started seeking their possession after learning there could be oil reserves under the seabed in nearby waters.
　中国が領有権を主張し始めたのは、日本の領土編入から７５年も後の１９７０年で、周辺の海底に石油埋蔵の可能性が指摘されてからに過ぎない。

It is evident that the Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory, both historically and under international law.
尖閣諸島が、歴史的にも国際法的にも日本固有の領土であることは明白である。

For this reason, the government's position has been that there is no "territorial dispute" between Tokyo and Beijing over the islands.
　このため、どの国に帰属するかを争う「領土問題」は日中間に存在しない、というのが政府の立場だ。

The government has consistently been restrained when refuting China's assertions over the islands. This response is aimed at defusing China's attempts to whip up the issue of the islands' sovereignty.
政府は、「領土問題」化を狙う中国の土俵に乗るわけにいかないとして、中国への反論も抑制的な対応に終始してきた。

However, China recently has been very vocal in claiming sovereignty over the Senkakus on the Internet and in overseas TV broadcasts. It even dragged up ancient maps dating back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) to try to back up its claims.
　しかし、中国は明朝時代の古地図まで持ち出し、インターネットや海外テレビ放送で盛んに「中国領だ」と喧伝(けんでん)している。

A private anti-Japan organization in Hong Kong has even established a network of ethnic Chinese groups around the world to trumpet Beijing's position.
香港の民間反日団体も、世界各地の華人系団体の連携組織を発足させた。

After a Chinese fishing boat rammed two Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels near the Senkaku Islands in September, some news media in the United States and Europe issued reports that seemed to side with China.
　尖閣諸島沖で起きた漁船衝突事件でも、欧米には中国の主張に理解を示す報道があった。

We wonder if the government's constant trotting out of the "There is no territorial dispute" line could be playing into China's hands, as that country seems to be winning the contest in making its voice heard around the world.
　「領土問題は存在しない」と繰り返すだけでは、対外アピールの面で中国に大きく差をつけられるばかりではないか。

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Spread the word

The Foreign Ministry Web site details the background of the islands and Japan's basic view on their sovereignty. These explanations are provided in English and Chinese.
　外務省のホームページは、尖閣問題の経緯や日本の立場について英語と中国語の説明文を設けている。

The Web site also carries descriptions of Japan's position on Takeshima--islets in the Sea of Japan over whose sovereignty Japan disputes with South Korea--in nine languages.
だが、韓国と領有権を争う竹島問題の方は９か国語と充実している。

We think the ministry should present information about the Senkaku Islands in more languages.
尖閣問題の紹介も、多言語で対応すべきだ。

The Shimane prefectural government launched "Takeshima Day" in 2005. However, we think the central government should take the lead in enlightening the public--both at home and abroad--over territorial issues, rather than just leaving this in the hands of local governments.
　「竹島の日」を２００５年に制定したのも、島根県だ。領土にかかわる問題は自治体任せにせず、政府が先頭に立って内外の世論啓発に努めてもらいたい。

Meanwhile, the government needs to make greater effort in working out international rules for easing tensions in disputed waters.
　これとは別に、係争海域での緊張緩和に向けたルールづくりにも取り組む必要がある。

It will be a problem if there is a spate of such dangerous incidents as a foreign fishing boat ramming Japan's patrol vessels as it attempts to flee after being discovered fishing illegally.
外国漁船が違法操業の取り締まりを逃れるため、巡視船艇に体当たりするような危険行為が横行しては困る。

This is not limited to bilateral cases between Japan and China.
　これは日中２国間に限った話ではない。

Japan should seek to put such rules in place by proactively using multilateral frameworks, such as the East Asia Summit meeting.
東アジア首脳会議など多国間の枠組みを積極的に活用して実現を図るべきだろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 14, 2011)
（2011年1月14日01時37分 読売新聞）