The Chinese government has opened an official website which endorses China’s position towards the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. The website, www.diaoyudao.org.cn, is accessible in Chinese under the isles Chinese name, the Diaoyu Islands. According to this blog from the New York Times, the home page of the site opens to a Chinese national flag next to which the words “Diaoyu Islands — China’s inherent territory” are written. The site shows a timeline with pictures of Chinese historical documents dating back to the 15th century. The website was set up by the National Marine Data and Information Service, a department under the State Oceanic Administration. The Japanese government had opened a similar website for the Senkakus after they nationalized the islands in 2012.
A period of calm was expected in the East China Sea after Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe shook hands on the sidelines of the APEC summit in November. Yet, in mid-December, two Chinese naval vessels entered the disputed waters. The boats were reported to have come within 44 miles of the islands, the closest approach since the dispute erupted in 2012. Last week again, the Japan Times reported that three Chinese Coast Guard vessels had entered its territorial waters near the islands. A couple of weeks ago, news of China’s military building a large-scale base on islands off the coast of Zhejiang province, at a close distance to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, had already caused tension.