七十年代釣魚台歸還日本有關美國文件曝光

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
沖縄県の尖閣諸島沖で起きた中国漁船の衝突事件から１年がたちました。その尖閣諸島が、４０年近く前、アメリカの統治下にあった当時、アメリカ政府内で日本への返還に反対する意見が一部で出ていたものの、最終的にニクソン大統領自身の決断で返還が決まった経緯が、アメリカの外交文書から明らかになりました。
尖閣諸島は、第２次世界大戦後、沖縄の一部としてアメリカの統治下に入り、１９７２年の沖縄返還で日本に施政権が返還されました。返還を前に、当時、アメリカと国交があった台湾が、日本への返還に強く反対してアメリカ政府に働きかけ、アメリカ政府内でも、台湾への配慮に加えて、日米間で懸案だった繊維交渉で日本に譲歩を促す際の交渉材料にするためにも、直ちに日本に返還すべきでないという意見が一部で出されていました。これに対し、駐日大使を務め、知日派として知られていた当時のジョンソン国務次官が、日本への返還を強く主張していたことを示す機密文書がアメリカで見つかりました。ジョンソン氏は１９７１年に尖閣諸島に関する年表をまとめ、「台湾もかつては尖閣諸島が沖縄に含まれていたことを認めていた」と指摘したうえで、「台湾は天然資源確保のために領有権の主張を強めている」との見方を示しています。そして、この年表をもとに当時のニクソン大統領とキッシンジャー国家安全保障担当補佐官が協議した結果、大統領自身が日本への返還を決断したということです。これについて、外交文書を調査した、名古屋大学特任教授で日米関係が専門の春名幹男氏は「尖閣諸島を巡る問題に、アメリカが深く絡んでいるということが明確に示されたエピソードだ」と話しています。

(試譯文)
One year had passed since the China fishing boat collision incident which occurred in the offing of the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. About the Senkaku Islands, some 40 years ago while was still under the American rule, there were some opinion that opposed to their returning to Japan; they were made known within the American government, the circumstances in which that these islands were finally returned as confirmed by President Nixon based on his personal decision had been made clear in the U.S. diplomatic documents.
The Senkaku Islands came under the U.S. rule as a part of Okinawa after World War II, and the administrative power was returned to Japan under the Restoration of Okinawa in 1972. Before the returning, Taiwan, having diplomatic relationship with the United States, strongly opposed to its returning to Japan, and had worked on influencing the American government of the day. Also added to the worry of Taiwan, it was the time when the fiber negotiation was a pending question between Japan and the US; this issue was used to demand concession from Japan within the American government, and there was opinion that the islands should not be immediately returned to Japan. In face of that, the ambassador to Japan then the Under Secretary of State Johnson who was known as a pro-Japanese was found to have strongly asserted the returning to Japan, as shown in the confidential documents in the United States. Mr. Johnson, based on a chronology summary, showed that "Taiwan has at one time admitted that the Senkaku Islands were part of Okinawa", and he held the view that "Taiwan is strengthening the opinion over their sovereignty for reasons of the natural resources there". Based on this chronology, the president of the day President Nixon had discussions with Kissinger the National Security Adviser, and the result was that the President himself decided to return the Islands to Japan. About this, the Japan-U.S. relationship specialist Mr. Mikio Haruna, a specially-appointed professor of the Nagoya University, upon investigating the diplomatic documents said "This episode shows clearly that the United States is deeply involved in the problems involving the Senkaku Islands".

So, it is the American who had decided to return the Senkaku Islands to Japan in the 1970s.