The boat collision is once again bringing attention to the Diaoyu Islands issue. The Diaoyu islands have a long history as part of China's territory, belonging to the country since ancient times.

　　The islands are 200 nautical miles east of China's mainland and 200 nauticalmiles west of Japan's southernmost island Okinawa.

　　China's claim over the Diaoyu Islands dates back to the early 15th century. The ImperialMap of the Ming Dynasty included them as part of Ming Empire's territory.

　　After the Ming Dynasty, documents show the islands remained as part of China.

　　That was until 1895, when Japan forced China to give up Taiwan and the islands surrounding it to Japan, the Diaoyu islands included.

　　The Diaoyu islands have a long history as part of China's territory, belonging to the country since ancient times. The islands are 200 nautical miles east of

　　China's mainland and 200 nautical miles west of Japan's southernmost island Okinawa.

　　After World War II, international documents recognized Taiwan and the islands around it as falling under Chinese territory. But the administration of the islands fell into Japanese hands in 1972.

　　Also in the 1970's, large reservoirs of oil were discovered under the continental shelfbelow the Diaoyu Islands. This increased the tension between China and Japan over the islands.

　　Over the past decades, protesters from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan made repeated efforts to declare China's sovereigntyover the Diaoyu Islands.

　　In March 2004, seven Chinese activists landed on the Diaoyu Islands as a gesture of protest and were arrested by the Japanese for illegal entry.

　　In 2008, the Taiwan fishing boat Lien Ho was sunk by a Japanese frigate. The Taiwan authority and public protested strongly.

　　Other border conflicts include Japan's complaint about China's routine naval drillin the East China Sea in April 2010.

　　托福词汇点拨：

　　collision n.碰撞;冲突，抵触

　　claim vt.声称;索取;需要

　　The matter claimed our serious attention.

　　这件事需要我们认真注意。

　　territory n.领土，版图;领域，范围

　　reservoir n.水库，蓄水池;(人才等的)储藏，汇集

　　frigate n.护卫舰, 驱逐舰, 三帆快速战舰

　　conflict n.冲突，争论;战斗(争) vi.冲突，抵触

　　文化链接：

　　钓鱼岛是钓鱼岛列岛的主岛，是中国固有领土，位于中国东海，距温州市约356千米、福州市约385千米、基隆市约190千米，面积4.3838平方公里，周围海域面积约为17万平方公里。1972年美国将其“行政管辖权”连同琉球一起“交给”日本，历史上琉球并不属于日本。中日钓鱼岛争议由此产生。自1970年代开始，华人组织的民间团体曾多次展开宣示主权的“保钓运动”。

　　新闻快讯：

　　2012年6月10日，日本右翼政治团体在钓鱼岛附近海域举行钓鱼大赛，以显示日本对钓鱼岛所谓的“主权”。中国外交部发言人刘为民在例行发布会上重申，钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿自古以来就是中国的固有领土，中国对此拥有无可争辩的主权。我们坚决反对日方任何侵害中方主权的行为。

　　2012年8月12日， 香港保钓行动委员会成员搭乘的保钓船“启丰二号”，昨午在尖沙咀码头出发，先在香港西贡海域停靠，傍晚4时设法开往公海，船上共有14人，包括8名保钓成员、4名船员和2名记者;其中，8名保钓成员中，1人来自澳门，1人来自大陆。 2012年8月15日，香港爱国人士冲过日本拦截，成功登上钓鱼岛，插上五星红旗，宣布中华人民共和国对钓鱼岛拥有无可争议的主权。北京时间2012年8月17号晚7点50分，首批7名中国公民搭乘香港航空公司航班飞抵香港国际机场，顺利返回香港，这7名首批返回香港的“保钓船”成员中，包括5名登上钓鱼岛后被扣留的保钓人士，以及2名凤凰卫视的记者。