釣魚台(尖閣)群島的歸屬爭議,長期以來一直是日本、中國、台灣三方面懸而未決的領土問題;再加上其背後所涉及的海洋資源、戰略因素等利害考量,更使得此一懸案愈形複雜,進而成為牽動東亞區域安全、一個極為敏感的國際話題。論者或以歷史淵源相辯詰,力陳中國自十四世紀以來發現並利用為海上航標之佐證、極言擁有釣島主權之正當性;亦有自國際法理著眼,主張日本基於條約、協定以及長期、和平而有效統治該地之事實,辯解並無主權爭議的問題。論辯雙方各趨極端、互不信任之態勢,於僵局之化解殆無甚裨益。然綜觀全局,日本以實效支配、據有國際法理之優勢;而中國執先占取得、於歷史考証亦頗有可觀之成績。唯獨台灣雖以地理最為切近,卻因國家定位之 昧不清、復以歷史切割的取捨自限,遂難免蒙上日漸邊緣化之疑慮。有鑒於此,本文乃試圖整合歷史事實與國際法理,期能藉由國際關係的角度來重新審視此一古老問題,並為台灣處理相關作為上、提供另一個可資參考的對策選項。
The Senkaku Islands (Japanese) are islands currently under Japanese control but claimed by the People's Republic of China and Taiwan (the Republic of China), by which they are known as Diaoyutai Islands. According to the Chinese, the islands were first mentioned in literature in the 14th century and Chinese firstly used the islands as guidelines for voyage. The Chinese Government asserts that they have sovereignty over the islands. Geographically, however, the shorter distance between Taiwan and the islands and the ocean between them is only 200 feet deep, the Taiwanese Government also has viewed Diaoyutai islands as part of Taiwan. In Japan, on the other hand, Diaoyutai islands are considered part of the Southwest Islands, Japan claims that after the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese Goverment conducted surveys of the islands beginning in 1885 which confirmed that there was no evidence that the uninhabited islands had been under Chinese control. Thus, the Sovereignty of Diaoyutai islands became serious disputes among Japan, China and Taiwan. This paper intends to study and analyze the disputes concerning Diaoyutai islands from the viewpoint of international law.