1650年，琉球国相向象贤监修的琉球国第一部正史《中山世鉴》记载，古米山(亦称姑米山，今久米岛)是琉球的领土，而赤屿(今赤尾屿)及其以西则非琉球领土。1708年，琉球学者、紫金大夫程顺则所著《指南广义》记载，姑米山为“琉球西南界上之镇山”。

In 1650, the Annals of Chong-shan (Zhong Shan Shi Jian), the first official historical record of the Ryukyu Kingdom drafted under the supervision of Ryukyu's prime minister Xiang Xiangxian (Kozoken), confirmed that Gumi Mountain (also called Gumi Mountain, known as Kume Island today) is part of Ryukyu's territory, while Chi Yu (known as Chiwei Yu today) and the areas to its west are not Ryukyu's territory. In 1708, Cheng Shunze (Tei Junsoku), a noted scholar and the Grand Master with the Purple-Golden Ribbon (Zi Jin Da Fu) of Ryukyu, recorded in his book A General Guide (Zhi Nan Guang Yi) that "Gumi Mountain is the mountain guarding the southwest border of Ryukyu".

以上史料清楚记载着钓鱼岛、赤尾屿属于中国，久米岛属于琉球，分界线在赤尾屿和久米岛之间的黑水沟(今冲绳海槽)。明朝册封副使谢杰所著《琉球录撮要补遗》(1579年)记载，“去由沧水入黑水，归由黑水入沧水”。明朝册封使夏子阳所著《使琉球录》(1606年)记载，“水离黑入沧，必是中国之界”。清朝册封使汪辑所著《使琉球杂录》(1683年)记载，赤屿之外的“黑水沟”即是“中外之界”。清朝册封副使周煌所著《琉球国志略》(1756年)记载，琉球“海面西距黑水沟，与闽海界”。

These historical accounts clearly demonstrate that Diaoyu Dao and Chiwei Yu belong to China and Kume Island belongs to Ryukyu, and that the separating line lies in Hei Shui Gou (today's Okinawa Trough) between Chiwei Yu and Kume Island. In 1579, Xie Jie, a deputy imperial title-conferring envoy of the Ming Dynasty, recorded in his book, Addendum to Summarized Record of Ryukyu (Liu Qiu Lu Cuo Yao Bu Yi) that he entered Ryukyu from Cang Shui to Hei Shui, and returned to China from Hei Shui to Cang Shui. Xia Ziyang, another imperial envoy of the Ming court, wrote in 1606 that "when the water flows from Hei Shui back to Cang Shui, it enters the Chinese territory." Miscellaneous Records of a Mission to Ryukyu (Shi Liu Qiu Za Lu), a book written in 1683 by Wang Ji, an imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, stated that "Hei Shui Gou", situated outside Chi Yu, is the "boundary between China and foreign land". In 1756, Zhou Huang, a deputy imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, recorded in his book, the Annals of Ryukyu (Liu Qiu Guo Zhi Lue), that Ryukyu "is separated from the waters of Fujian by Hei Shui Gou to the west".

钓鱼岛海域是中国的传统渔场，中国渔民世世代代在该海域从事渔业生产活动。钓鱼岛作为航海标志，在历史上被中国东南沿海民众广泛利用。

The waters surrounding Diaoyu Dao are traditionally Chinese fishing ground. Chinese fishermen have, for generations, engaged in fishery activities in these waters. In the past, Diaoyu Dao was used as a navigation marker by the Chinese people living on the southeast coast.