致尼克森总统公开信

历史文件：在清理旧文件时发现这封颇有历史意义的公开信，现转载在下，以飨读者。关于七十年代“保钓运动”的回顾文献现有汇集书籍《春雷声声》，台北 人间出版社，2001年。

致尼克森总统公开信（通告）

敬启者：

自钓鱼台事件发生以来，海外同胞已有多种爱国保土之行动。兹为加强美国一般人民对此事之了解，同仁等谨发起“致尼克森总统公开信”（信文附后）拟于纽约时报以广告方式刊登。初步决定，于五月二十三日（星期日）以整版篇幅刊载于 Week in Review 栏。该栏广告费每行$4.15，整版共二千四百行，共需$9,960.

为表现海外同胞保土之普遍热忱。并筹措广告之费用，兹发起签名运动。签名者凡已任事者，原则上请捐助至少$20，同学则随意乐捐，若同学签名人数甚多，则其姓名或不克见报，而谨以某校总数若干人之方式刊布。签名请中英文并用，并请注明地址及服务机关（或学校）。英文签名请附注正楷，以免淆误。捐款请尽可能以支票或汇票方式，支于 

TIAO YU TAI OPEN LETTERS FUND

地址： BOX 131, PUPIN HALL, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

NEW YORK, N.Y. 10027

只愿捐款而不愿姓名见报者，亦请注明。

可否请即在贵报发起签名运动，并于五月十二日前将任事者及学生名单分别寄达上述地址，（预计于五月十六日前纂齐），办理情形及收支概况将陆续奉闻。此致 先生 已同意签名的包括：

张斯候 S. H. Chang     陈省身 S. S. Chern 钱致榕 C. Y. Chien

项武忠 W. C. Hsiang     谢定裕 D. Y. Hsieh 李卓皓 C. H. Li

李我炎 W. Y. Lee     李浩 Victor Li         林家翘 C. C. Lin

鲍永平 Y. P. Pao     卞学鐄 H. H. Pian         孙正中 Robert Sun

董道义 T. Y. Toong     蒋硕杰 S. C. Tsiang 王浩 Hao Wang

伍鸿熙 H. Wu             杨振宁 C. N. Yang         袁祈 C. Yuan

附：本信分发姓名地址部分由陈省身先生提供。

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT NIXON

May 1971

Dear Mr. President:

    WE WRITE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE VIOLATION OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE TIAO YU TAI ISLANDS BY THE JAPANESE AND RYUKYU AUTHORITIES. THIS TOOK PLACE AFTER A 1968 UNITED NATIONS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAD REVEALED THAT THE CONTINENTAL SHELF IN THE EAT CHINA SEA MAY HOLD RICH OIL RESERVES. WE URGE YOU TO RESPECT AND TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO ENSURE CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THESE ISLANDS. SUCH ACTION BY YOU WILL REMOVE A SOURCE OF CONFLICT IN EAST ASIA AND WILL FURTHER THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE AMERICAN AND CHINESE PEOPLES.

    The Tiao Yu Tai islands (called “Senkaku” in Japanese) are a group of eight uninhabited islands located about 120 miles northeast of Taiwan on the continental shelf and separated from the Ryukyus by a deep underwater trench. Chinese historical records detailing the discovery and geographical features of these islands date back to the year 1403. For several centuries they have been administered as part of Taiwan and have always been used exclusively by Chinese fishermen as an operational base, both before and after World War II.

    The province of Taiwan, including these islands, was forcibly taken by Japan in 1895 after the first Sino-Japanese war. These territories were returned to China at the end of World War II according to the 1943 Cairo Declaration which stipulated that Taiwan be returned to China. This was confirmed by the Potsdam Agreement and by Article IV of the 1952 Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty.

    Despite China’s undeniable sovereignty over the Tiao Yu Tai islands, the Japanese and Ryukyu governments have tried repeatedly to assert claims to these islands since the 1968 oil discovery. These governments have committed a series of extremely unfriendly acts against China, including the forcible ejection of the Chinese fishermen from the area and the mutilation of the Nationalist Chinese flag on the islands. These provocations have enraged all Chinese, who only recently had been the victims of Japanese aggression. Equally important, this conflict is regarded by the Chinese as just one aspect of the overall effort to revive Japanese militarism.

    The extend and depth of their feelings are illustrated by the actions taken by Chinese in the United States. On January 29 and 30, 1971, some three thousand students participated in protest marches held in New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. On April 10, 2,500 people, representing a wide cross-section of the Chinese community, gathered in Washington, D.C. to protest the support of Japan’s claims by the United States, which had stated its neutrality on the issue. At about the same time, another 1,500 Chinese also demonstrated to show their great concern over this issue in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, and Montreal. These events have been widely reported in the press, for example, most recently in the Washington Sunday Star on April 11 and the New York Times on April 12.

    WE THEREFORE ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER THE UNITED STATES’ POLICY ON THIS ISSUE. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ROBERT McCLOSKEY STATED ON SEPTEMBER 10, 1970, THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD REMAIN NEUTRAL. THIE PLAN TO TURN THE TIAO YU TAI ISLANDS OVER TO JAPAN IN 1972 CONTRADICTS THE PRINCIPLE OF NEUTRALITY. SPECIFICALLY, WE ASK THAT YOU

(1) DISAVOW ANY CLAIMS THAT THE TIAO YU TAI ISLANDS ARE PART OF THE AMERICAN-ADMINISTERED RYUKYU ISLANDS.

(2) RECOGNIZE CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THESE ISLANDS.

(3) CENSURE ACTIONS BY THE JAPANESE AND RYUKYU GOVERNMENTS WHICH VIOLATE CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AND CONDEMN ATTEMPTS BY THESE GOVERNEMENTS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE THROUGH THE USE OF FORCE.

    WE APPEAL TO YOU TO USE YOUR INITIATIVE AND MORAL AUTHORITY TO ASSURE THAT THE LEGITIMATE RIGHTS OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE SACRIFICED AS AN EXPEDIENT TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. YOUR JUST ACTION IN THIS MATTER WILL IMPROVE THE PROSPECTS FOR PEACE IN THE PACIFIC AREA.