Sunday is the 70th anniversary of the release of the Cairo Declaration. The document, which was signed in 1943 by China, the US and the UK, called for the unconditional surrender of Japan, and the return of all its occupied territories. China says the document is highly significant, as the territories include the Diaoyu Islands, which are part of a long running territorial dispute with Japan.
The Cairo Declaration states all territories occupied by Japan before and during World War Two must be returned.
That includes land taken from China, specifically Northeast China, Taiwan and the Pescadores Island chain.
The Pescadores includes the Diaoyu Islands.
But there are also other international documents that endorse China’s legal rights.
"In August of 1945, the Emperor at the time, on behalf of the Japanese government, accepted the Potsdam Declaration, which states Japan shall enforce the Cairo Declaration. It means Japanese territories will be limited to the four large islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, and some other islets that international community accepts. Japan later issued the Instrument of Surrender, which also said Japan would enforce the Potsdam Declaration." said Liu Jiangyong, Vice Dean, Inst. of Modern Int;l Relations , Tsinghua Univ.
However, in 1951, some allied powers signed the Treaty of San Francisco with Japan, which muddied the waters.
This year, Japan designated the anniversary of that Treaty as "Sovereignty Recovery Day".
Analysts see the move as part of Japan’s nationalist campaign, and say Tokyo is trying to elevate the status of the San Francisco Treaty.
China has repeatedly asked Japan to respect both the Cairo Declaration, as well as the Potsdam Declaration. The Chinese government has firmly resolved to defend the country’s sovereignty.
