明人笔下的钓鱼岛:东海海上疆域形成的历史轨迹

Diaoyu Island in the Writings of the Ming Dynasty: The History of the Formation of the Sea Territory of Donghai

有关钓鱼岛的确切记载,迄今为止始见于明代。根据对明代文献比较全面系统的梳理,明人笔下的钓鱼岛,可以归纳为3种类型:第一种是航海针路传抄本,属于民间文书性质;第二种是明朝大臣出使琉球记录,属于官方文书性质;第三种是海防类图籍,主要由官方编纂,也有私人编撰。3种类型的明代官私记载,均可印证最迟在明太祖洪武初年,即14世纪70年代,钓鱼岛列岛已确定为中国海上领土的历史事实。以钓鱼岛为例,明代不仅是钓鱼岛命名定型的重要历史时期,同时也是钓鱼岛归属与中琉两国国界界定、中国海防体系建立与管辖范围确定,以及东海海上疆域形成的重要历史时期。

The precise record of the Diaoyu Island can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty.According to the comprehensive and systematic collating of documents in the Ming Dynasty,the record of the Diaoyu Island by the people in the Ming Dynasty can be classified into three categories.The first version is the copy on the voyage that can be regarded as the folk writ;the second is the record by the ministers sent on a diplomatic mission to Ryukyu that can be regarded as the official amanuensis;the third is the book of coast defence mainly compiled by official and some compiled personally.It can be proved by the record of three categories both officially and personally that Diaoyu Island was identified to be the sea territory of China historically at latest in the early Ming Hongwu Period namely in the 1370s.To take Diaoyu Island for example,the Ming Dynasty can be considered as the significant historic period when the nomination of Diaoyu Island has been definitely identified as well as the significant historic period when China and Ryukyu have reached agreement on the demarcation of national boundaries and China has established the system of coast defence and ascertained jurisdictional limits.