References to ancient documents alone are not enough evidence to support China's sovereignty claims to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea because they do not prove it was exercising effective control, a Japanese expert on territorial disputes said recently.
Takashi Tsukamoto, a professor of international law at Tokai University, also said Japan is in a favorable position because it has long had effective control over the islets, and said that acknowledging the existence of the dispute — which Tokyo has so far refused to do — would not place it at a disadvantage.
Citing international judicial precedents, Tsukamoto said, "Just presenting old records that simply refer to the discovery of land or landmarks along sea routes, as China is doing, is not enough as evidence."