evidence: The East China Sea is part of the Western Pacific Ocean and located directly offshore East China. The uninhabited island chain of Senkaku is made up of five islands and three reefs. The Senkaku Islands are a group of islands under the jurisdiction of Okinawa Prefecture, which include Uotsuri, Kitakojima, Minamikojima, Kuba, Taisho, Okinokitaiwa, Okinominamiiwa and Tobise Islands.[i] According to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates, the East China Sea has between 1 and 2 trillion cubic feet natural gas reserves. [...] In 2009, China passed the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Offshore Islands", which was adopted at the 12th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People's Congress on 26 December 2009.[iv] On 10 September 2012, the Chinese government issued a statement announcing the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Diaoyu and its affiliated islands of China.[v] In 2012, China published a White Paper titled "Diaoyu Dao, an Inherent Territory of China". The paper argues that the Diaoyu/ Senkaku Islands have been an inseparable part of China since the ancient times. China believes that Japan should stop all activities in the region. It further stated that (China) has the capability and confidence to defend its territory sovereignty.[vi]