What is "stealing"? Chinese dictionaries say stealing is taking without the owner's consent. That is, to obtain in an illegal manner. The action is shameless and will not end well.

The dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands is complicated. But all problems originate from Japan's stealing China's islands.

First, we call it "stealing" because the Diaoyu Islands belong to China. Japan wracks its brains to seek evidence and excuses everywhere in a bid to prove the islets are Japanese territory. Japanese politicians make up various lies to cover up the fact that the nature of Japan's control of the islands is stealing.

History shows the islands are named the Diaoyu Islands, a Chinese name, as early as the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and were then called the Senkaku Islands by a Japanese scholar in 1900. Many historical records suggest the Chinese first came to fish in the waters around the islands, and then included the islands into the coastal defense areas of the islands affiliated with Taiwan.

Japanese scholars' studies also show that before the Meiji Restoration in 1868, except for Chinese historical records, no records specifically referring to the Diaoyu Islands could be found in Japan and the Ryukyu Islands.

The facts are clear. The Diaoyu Islands' owner is China, not Japan. The Japanese stole the island from China and think the islands will become theirs with a new name. Things cannot be that easy. But it is like stealing someone's automobile. Changing a license plate does not change the fact the car still belongs to its owner, not the thief.

Second, we call it "stealing" because Japan has a guilty conscience and stealthily took the islands, not daring to show the process to the world. The Japanese government knows the Qing Dynasty (1636-1911) clearly owned the islands. Japan dared not invade the islands even after making a field survey of the islands in 1885. The Japanese Cabinet did not pass a confidential resolution to take the islands as its own until the end of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95).

If Japan really found the islands first, the Japanese Cabinet should have enough reasons to publicize its ownership of the islands, instead of passing a closed-door confidential resolution. Japan's so-called field survey was actually to prepare for the theft and determine what the safest way was to steal the islands from China.

Third, we call it stealing because however hard the thief is trying, he cannot change the ownership and the identity of the stolen goods. China's sovereignty over the islands will not change, no matter how many years Japan has the stolen islands. The harder Japan tries to hide its stealing action, the more obvious its stealing is.

We advise Japan to get rid of its illusion and correct its mistakes. The Diaoyu Islands issue should be solved through dialogue and negotiation, but not shameless performances.

Translated from People's Daily