二、日本窃取钓鱼岛
II. Japan Grabbed Diaoyu Dao from China
日本在明治维新以后加快对外侵略扩张。1879年,日本吞并琉球并改称冲绳县。此后不久,日本便密谋侵占钓鱼岛,并于甲午战争末期将钓鱼岛秘密“编入”版图。随后,日本又迫使中国签订不平等的《马关条约》,割让台湾全岛及包括钓鱼岛在内的所有附属各岛屿。
Japan accelerated its invasion and external expansion after the Meiji Restoration. Japan seized Ryukyu in 1879 and changed its name to Okinawa Prefecture. Soon after that, Japan began to act covertly to invade and occupy Diaoyu Dao and secretly "included" Diaoyu Dao in its territory at the end of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. Japan then forced China to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki and cede to Japan the island of Formosa (Taiwan), together with Diaoyu Dao and all other islands appertaining or belonging to the said island of Formosa.
(一)日本密谋窃取钓鱼岛
1. Japan's covert moves to seize Diaoyu Dao
1884年,有日本人声称首次登上钓鱼岛,发现该岛为“无人岛”。日本政府随即对钓鱼岛开展秘密调查,并试图侵占。日本上述图谋引起中国的警觉。1885年9月6日(清光绪十一年七月二十八日)《申报》登载消息:“台湾东北边之海岛,近有日本人悬日旗于其上,大有占据之势。”由于顾忌中国的反应,日本政府未敢轻举妄动。
In 1884, a Japanese man claimed that he first landed on Diaoyu Dao and found the island to be uninhabited. The Japanese government then dispatched secret facts-finding missions to Diaoyu Dao and attempted to invade and occupy the island. The above-mentioned plots by Japan triggered China's alert. On September 6, 1885 (the 28th day of the 7th month in the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty), the Chinese newspaper Shen-pao (Shanghai News) reported: "Recently, Japanese flags have been seen on the islands northeast to Taiwan, revealing Japan's intention to occupy these islands." But the Japanese government did not dare to take any further action for fear of reaction from China.