evidence: Article 2(f) of the Treaty of Peace with Japan, signed on September 8, 1951, stipulates that, "Japan renounces all right, title and claim to the Spratly Islands and to the Paracel Islands," but prior to this, on August 15, 1951, then Premier Zhou Enlai had stated the following, "The draft stipulates that Japan renounces all rights to the Spratly and Paracel Islands, but again deliberately fails to mention the issue of restoring sovereignty over these islands. As a matter of fact, just like all the Nan Sha Islands, Chung Sha Islands and Tung Sha Islands, the Si Sha Islands (the Paracel Islands) and Nan Wei Island (Spratly Island) have always been China’s territory."3 In light of the name of the "Map of South China Sea Islands," and subsequent statements by the Chinese government, such as the one above, it is reasonable to interpret that in essence the nine-dash line was initially considered to be a line indicating China’s claims of ownership over the islands.