In the vast East China Sea, there is a small island called Diaoyu Dao, which has been Chinese territory since ancient times.
But this island is inhabited by hundreds of goats, how did they get here?
It is said that the Japanese released it 40 years ago, but what kind of conspiracy is hidden behind it?
Approaching this sea area, it seems that you can feel a strong controversy and unease, which makes people unable not to think:
What is hidden behind this tiny Diaoyu Island?
Diaoyu Dao is an unquestionable part of China's territory
According to historical records, China called the Diaoyu Islands "Diaoyutai" or "Huangwei Yu".
As early as the Ming Dynasty, there were documents such as "Fujian Tongzhi" and "Fuzhou Fuzhi" that recorded that "there is a Diaoyutai in the sea more than 400 miles southeast of Fuzhou Prefecture, and in the offshore waters of the island, it is about 20 li wide." ”
It can be seen that Diaoyutai was already part of China's territory as early as the Ming Dynasty.
Judging from the map, the Diaoyu Islands have always been part of Chinese territory.
The earliest surviving map of the Diaoyu Islands is the "Travels of Xu Xiake" by the Ming Dynasty geographer Xu Xiake.
In this map, the location of the Diaoyu Islands can be clearly seen, and the island is also marked as "Diaoyutai" on the map.
And there is also a description of Diaoyu Dao in the book, one of which is "Forty miles west of the water, there is Diaoyu Dao, the springs under it, the grass is luxuriant, and the people of the state fish here, hence the name Diaoyu Dao." ”
This once again confirms the fact that Diaoyu Dao is Chinese territory.
From the perspective of historical events, Diaoyu Dao has always been a fishing ground for Chinese.
As early as the Ming Dynasty, China sent a fleet of ships to conduct fishing activities near the Senkaku Islands.
In the early 20th century, both Taiwanese authorities and the Japanese government sent guard boats to the Senkakus, but none of them changed the fact that Chinese fishermen were fishing here.
A 1986 report said: "Since ancient times, whether in the Ming and Qing dynasties or around 1900, fishermen from Diaoyutai (that is, Diaoyu Dao) have had frequent exchanges with Fujian and Taiwan, and Chinese fishermen have also been fishing on the islands." ”
According to international law, Diaoyu Dao is one of the unquestionable territories of the mainland.
After the Qing government ceded Taiwan, the Penghu Islands and the Diaoyu Islands to Japan in the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, the mainland government insisted that the islands remained Chinese territory after the war.
In 1931, the mainland government announced that Diaoyu Dao and other Nanhai Zhudao would be incorporated into Hainan County in Guangdong Province.
In 1945, after Japan signed its unconditional surrender, the government of the Republic of China recovered Taiwan, the Penghu Islands and the Diaoyu Islands in October of the same year, in accordance with the principles of international law.
Since then, the Chinese government has always upheld sovereignty and solemnly stated that it will not recognize any foreign forces' claim to sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.
Japan's covetousness for the Diaoyu Islands
At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan's covetousness for the Diaoyu Islands gradually became apparent.
Around 1900, when Japan was developing coal resources in the Kanto region, it discovered the existence of coal deposits in the waters not far from the Senkaku Islands.
So the Japanese government began to pay attention to the strategic value of the Diaoyu Islands, and in 1908 conducted a "survey" of the Diaoyu Islands.
After that, Japan began to set up fishermen's camps near the Diaoyu Islands and sent garrisons to the islands.
These moves have aroused the wariness of the Chinese government, but instead of backing down, the Japanese government has adopted an increasingly tough attitude.
In 1945, after the end of World War II, Japan was forced to cede territory such as the Diaoyu Islands, and the Chinese government began to exercise sovereign management.
However, since 1971, the Japanese government has begun to reassert sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and has carried out a series of provocative actions.
For example, in 1972, the Japanese government set up a "Diaoyu Dao Management Area" on the Diaoyu Islands and deployed a garrison near the Diaoyu Islands.
The Japanese conspiracy
In the early 70s of the 20th century, the Diaoyu Islands became the object of Japan's nationalization.
Since then, in order to safeguard its claim to sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, the Japanese government has sent a group of staff and self-defense forces members to the islands to carry out activities.
During that time, the Japanese government released two goats on the Senkaku Islands in order to show that the island was still inhabited.
The two goats are not managed, they breed freely and grow in number.
For a long time, the Diaoyu Islands were almost untouched, and this situation led to a surge in goat populations and became extremely rampant.
Goats search for food on the island and begin to gnaw at the trees and vegetation on the island, destroying the forest ecology and scratching the bark every year, further accelerating tree death.
Goats also gnaw on rocks, eroding the vegetation cover of cliffs and ground, seriously disturbing the ecological balance of the Senkaku Islands.
Because goats have no natural predators, the population continues to expand, reaching hundreds of individuals.
The excessive number of goats has led to the destruction of the entire ecosystem and become a major concern for the local environment.
The Japanese government's original intention in placing goats on the Diaoyu Islands was to declare its "territorial claim" to the islands.
In the early 70s of the 20th century, the Japanese government nationalized the Diaoyu Islands and sent staff and Self-Defense Forces members to the islands.
During this period, to show that the island was still inhabited, the Japanese government placed two goats on the Diaoyu Islands.
The Japanese government's placement of goats also reflects the Japanese government's "actual control" over the Diaoyu Islands.
From the sharp increase in the number of goats, it can be seen that they have formed a certain ecosystem on the fishing islands.
And this means that the Diaoyu Islands have become their home.
Therefore, the Japanese government can indirectly control the ecological environment of the island by controlling the goats, and further consolidate its "actual control" over the Senkaku.
By placing goats, the Japanese government can also increase its bargaining power over the Senkaku Islands.
The dispute over the Senkaku Islands is a sensitive issue between China and Japan, and the placement of goats could allow the Japanese government to assert its claim to the island more assertive and put pressure on the Chinese government.
From another point of view, if the Japanese government takes action to clean up the goats, it will also become a bargaining point in the negotiations between China and Japan, and strive for more interests for the Japanese side.
But no matter how much the Japanese government plans and publicizes, it cannot change the unquestionable fact that the Diaoyu Islands are Chinese territory.
The Diaoyu Islands are China's inherent territory, which is proof by history and facts. No matter how the Japanese government carries out its tactics and conspiracies, it cannot change this fact.
"Whether it is history or reality, China has sovereignty and has a good determination and ability to safeguard sovereignty."
This is what Geng Shuang, spokesman of the mainland Foreign Ministry, said, and it is also the attitude that we as Chinese should be confident in.
We believe that as long as we persist in defending our territorial sovereignty, sooner or later there will be a rational balance to maintain peace and stability in this maritime area.
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