The disputed land is five uninhabited islets and three tiny rock outcrops in the East China Sea, a seven kilometre area bounded by Taiwan and mainland China.
1532: Ming Dynasty envoy records islands.
1895: Japan claims islands during the first Sino-Japanese War on the understanding that the islands were no-mans land or terra nullis.
1895: After China lost the war, both countries signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki in April, China cedes to Japan "the island of Formosa together with all islands appertaining or belonging to said island of Formosa (Taiwan)".
1945: Japan loses WWII, the Treaty of San Francisco signed in 1951 between Japan and the allies nullifies previous treaties.
1951-1975: US occupies Okinawa and the disputes islands.
1968: Oil suvey finds natural resources in the disputed area.
2004 – 2012 Regular protests, conflicts and maritime incidents occur against a backdrop of increasing presence of military and fishing vessels in the area on both sides.
2012: Japan pays 2.5 billion dollars for the land to a Japanese family who had tried to establish a fishing business there.
September: Protests escalate across mainland China and abroad, with boycotts on Japanese products. US defence secretary visits China, attempting to calm tensions.
