The Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets have been China's territory since ancient time. China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over them historically and legally. It is a fact that China and Japan have disputes over the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands. We have always advocated for resolving the issue through negotiations.

Seven Chinese citizens were detained illegally by the Japanese side after they landed on the Diaoyu Islands on March 24. They suffered from inhumane treatment during the illegal detention. This is a serious infringement upon China's territorial sovereignty and the human rights of the Chinese citizens. The Chinese side expresses its strong indignation over this.

China has attached importance to Sino-Japanese relations, and is willing to develop the relationship in the new century in accordance with the principle of "drawing lessons from history and looking forward to the future". The two sides should make joint efforts to properly solve existing problems between the two countries, so as to promote the healthy and stable development of the bilateral relations.