United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands
The islands are the focus of a territorial dispute between Japan and both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC), also known as Taiwan. China claims the discovery and ownership of the islands from the 14th century, while Japan maintained ownership of the islands from 1895 until its surrender at the end of World War II. The United States administered the islands as part of the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands from 1945 until 1972, when the islands returned to Japanese control under the Okinawa Reversion Agreement between the United States and Japan. The discovery of potential undersea oil reserves in 1968 in the area was a catalyst for further interest in the disputed islands. Despite the diplomatic stalemate between the governments in Beijing and Taipei, both governments agree that the islands are part of Republic of China as part of Toucheng Township in Yilan County. Japan administers and controls the Senkaku islands as part of the city of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture. It does not acknowledge the claims of China nor Republic of China, but has not allowed the Ishigaki administration to develop the islands.