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 SEF-ARATS contacts resumed in April 1998, and the SEF Chairman visited mainland China in October 1998. A planned visit by ARATS Chairman Wang Daohan to Taiwan in the fall, however, was postponed following statements made by then-President Lee Teng-hui that relations between mainland China and Taiwan should be conducted as "state-to-state" or at least as "special state-to-state relations." Since his 20 May 2000 inauguration, President Chen has called for resuming the cross-Strait dialogue without any preconditions. President Chen has stated that such talks should be conducted on the basis of the "spirit of 1992," a reference to the agreement to