1969 map proves Diaoyu Islands belong to China: FM spokesman

The 1969 map posted on the Japanese Foreign Ministry website can only prove that the Diaoyu Islands are an integral part of China and that Japan invaded China's Taiwan and stole the Diaoyu Islands, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said on Wednesday.

Hong pointed out that the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated waters are extended beyond the sheet line of the map in the form of 'border break', serving as powerful evidence that the Diaoyu Islands are a part of China.

Accentuating that China is the first country to discover the Diaoyu Islands and has long-term effective administration over the area, Hong also explained that the change to name of the Diaoyu Islands on relevant maps was due to Japanese occupation of Taiwan and its affiliated islands after the Sino-Japanese war in 1894.

"After the Second World War, the Diaoyu Dao was given back to China following relevant international legal instrument. Be it Japan's colonial rule or its repercussions on map-drawing, nothing can change the fact that the Diaoyu Dao belongs to China," Hong said.