Beijing gives UN baselines for Diaoyu Islands, spurring tension with Japan

Beijing has submitted its baselines for the Diaoyu Islands to the United Nations - a significant step that puts its territorial dispute with Japan firmly on the international stage - as it sent six surveillance ships to nearby waters in the East China Sea.

China's permanent representative to the UN, Li Baodong, filed a copy of a document detailing the sea baselines of the islands - tantamount to formally demarcating China's territorial waters in the area - to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday. The move was seen by mainland analysts as a major shift from Beijing's long-standing policy of seeking joint exploitation of resources with Japan through negotiation.

Zhou Yongsheng, a Japanese affairs expert at China Foreign Affairs University, said: "The long-term principle of 'setting aside disputes and seeking joint exploration' is being amended."

He said submission of the baselines, which were announced by Beijing on Monday, meant that Beijing was using legal means to declare its sovereignty, and might take tougher actions in the waters.

"It has an international legal basis to take actions now, especially when Japanese ships sail into the waters," Zhou said. The submission was followed by a brief stand-off between six Chinese surveillance ships and Japanese coastguard vessels near the Diaoyus - known as the Senkakus in Japan - early yesterday morning.

China Central Television repeatedly played footage yesterday of a Chinese marine surveillance officer aboard one of the ships radioing the Japanese vessels to demand they leave. "The actions of your ships violate China's sovereignty and rights," the officer said. "Any unilateral act from your side regarding the Diaoyu Islands and affiliated islands is illegal and invalid. Please stop any infringing acts. Otherwise, your side will bear the consequences caused by your actions."