The Conflict Over the Sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands -- between Taiwan (ROC), China (PRC), & Japan from 123 to 124.34 degrees. For the relative location of the Diaoyu Islands, they are approximately 170 kilometers northwest from Ishigakijima Island, 170 kilometers northeast of the island of Taiwan, 330 kilometers southeast of continental China, and 410 kilometers west of the island of Okinawa. Thus, they are situated more or less in the center of the sea separating Japan, China, and Taiwan. These islands were also located on the Kuroshio (black current)'s northern flow, which causes the same seasonal monsoon with Taiwan. Since the Kuroshio and Oyashio interchange around these islands, it creates a gratitude scale of whirlpool (the
Politics of the Republic of China largest ethnic group in Taiwan. The DPP maintains that Taiwan is an entity separate from mainland China and supports an independent "Republic of Taiwan" as part of its platform. The recent downplaying of Taiwan independence by the DPP as a party, however, led to the formation by hard-line advocates of a new political party called the Taiwan Independence Party in December 1996. Until 1986, Taiwan's political system was effectively controlled by one party, the KMT, the leader of which also was the President. Many top political officials were members of the party. The party claimed over 2 million members, and