1650年，琉球國相向象賢監修的琉球國第一部正史《中山世鑒》記載，古米山(亦稱姑米山，今久米島)是琉球的領土，而赤嶼(今赤尾嶼)及其以西則非琉球領土。1708年，琉球學者、紫金大夫程順則所著《指南廣義》記載，姑米山為“琉球西南界上之鎮山”。

In 1650, the Annals of Chong-shan (Zhong Shan Shi Jian), the first official historical record of the Ryukyu Kingdom drafted under the supervision of Ryukyu's prime minister Xiang Xiangxian (Kozoken), confirmed that Gumi Mountain (also called Gumi Mountain, known as Kume Island today) is part of Ryukyu's territory, while Chi Yu (known as Chiwei Yu today) and the areas to its west are not Ryukyu's territory. In 1708, Cheng Shunze (Tei Junsoku), a noted scholar and the Grand Master with the Purple-Golden Ribbon (Zi Jin Da Fu) of Ryukyu, recorded in his book A General Guide (Zhi Nan Guang Yi) that "Gumi Mountain is the mountain guarding the southwest border of Ryukyu".

以上史料清楚記載著釣魚島、赤尾嶼屬于中國，久米島屬于琉球，分界線在赤尾嶼和久米島之間的黑水溝(今沖繩海槽)。明朝冊封副使謝杰所著《琉球錄撮要補遺》(1579年)記載，“去由滄水入黑水，歸由黑水入滄水”。明朝冊封使夏子陽所著《使琉球錄》(1606年)記載，“水離黑入滄，必是中國之界”。清朝冊封使汪輯所著《使琉球雜錄》(1683年)記載，赤嶼之外的“黑水溝”即是“中外之界”。清朝冊封副使周煌所著《琉球國志略》(1756年)記載，琉球“海面西距黑水溝，與閩海界”。

These historical accounts clearly demonstrate that Diaoyu Dao and Chiwei Yu belong to China and Kume Island belongs to Ryukyu, and that the separating line lies in Hei Shui Gou (today's Okinawa Trough) between Chiwei Yu and Kume Island. In 1579, Xie Jie, a deputy imperial title-conferring envoy of the Ming Dynasty, recorded in his book, Addendum to Summarized Record of Ryukyu (Liu Qiu Lu Cuo Yao Bu Yi) that he entered Ryukyu from Cang Shui to Hei Shui, and returned to China from Hei Shui to Cang Shui. Xia Ziyang, another imperial envoy of the Ming court, wrote in 1606 that "when the water flows from Hei Shui back to Cang Shui, it enters the Chinese territory." Miscellaneous Records of a Mission to Ryukyu (Shi Liu Qiu Za Lu), a book written in 1683 by Wang Ji, an imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, stated that "Hei Shui Gou", situated outside Chi Yu, is the "boundary between China and foreign land". In 1756, Zhou Huang, a deputy imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, recorded in his book, the Annals of Ryukyu (Liu Qiu Guo Zhi Lue), that Ryukyu "is separated from the waters of Fujian by Hei Shui Gou to the west".

釣魚島海域是中國的傳統漁場，中國漁民世世代代在該海域從事漁業生產活動。釣魚島作為航海標志，在歷史上被中國東南沿海民眾廣泛利用。

The waters surrounding Diaoyu Dao are traditionally Chinese fishing ground. Chinese fishermen have, for generations, engaged in fishery activities in these waters. In the past, Diaoyu Dao was used as a navigation marker by the Chinese people living on the southeast coast.