On August 15, 2012, Japan detained 14 Chinese nationals and their vessel on the Diaoyu Islands and the adjacent waters, which represents a gross violation of China's territorial sovereignty. The Chinese Government expresses strong condemnation and protest over the dangerous actions such as converging attack taken by Japanese ships to obstruct the Chinese vessel.

The Chinese Government reiterates that the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have been China's inherent territory since ancient times. Any action taken by the Japanese side against the Chinese nationals is illegal and invalid. It will not change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China, nor will it shake the strong resolve of the Chinese Government and people to safeguard national territorial sovereignty.

China has long been standing for the proper settlement of the Diaoyu Islands issue through dialogue and negotiations with the larger interests of China-Japan relations in mind. China demands the Japanese side to stop actions that undermine China's territorial sovereignty, come back to the right track of solving the issue through dialogue and consultations, and safeguard the larger interests of China-Japan relations through concrete actions.