Ample facts presented in China's white paper on Diaoyu Islands: US scholars
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E-mail Xinhua, September 29, 2012
The Chinese government's white paper on the Diaoyu Islands has presented ample historical facts to support China's sovereignty claim over the territory, U.S. scholars say.
"As a historian, I confirm the Chinese government's strong claim of jurisdiction over the Diaoyu Islands," Guy Alitto, an associate professor of History and East Asian Language & Civilization at the University of Chicago, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Alitto said he was bothered by the so-called "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Islands by Japan at a time when both governments were about to make leadership transitions.
"The Japanese government should be fully aware of the extreme sensitivity of the issue to the Chinese and the Chinese government," he said.
"I had my students do research on these islands some years ago and came to the same historical conclusion," Alitto added, referring to the white paper's confirmation that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China.
He said the escalation of the dispute would not benefit any party involved.
Thomas Gehl, an associate professor at Marquette University Law School, said the white paper lays out a rational conclusion for China's claim over the islands.
China has exerted jurisdiction over the Diaoyu Islands since the early era of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and "Japanese cartographer showed (the islands) as part of China in the 17th century," said Gehl, who is also an attorney at Clark Hill PLC and chair of the firm's China Initiative.
J.D. Bindenagel, a former ambassador with more than 30 years of experience in the American diplomatic corps, described the white paper as a "very good position paper."
China has laid out a good historical review of the islands in the white paper, said Bindenagel, who is also a former negotiator for issues arising from World War II.
On Tuesday, China's State Council Information Office issued a white paper claiming the country's indisputable sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.
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