Mapping of islands

In a separate development, China is to survey the Diaoyu Islands as part of a mapping program of its territorial islands and reefs, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The Diaoyu Islands and the nearby waters are China's inherent territory, and the purpose of surveying the islands is to safeguard China's maritime rights and interests, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at on Tuesday.

The first stage of the island surveying and mapping was launched in 2009 and has finished the monitoring of islands located within 100 km of the coastline, according to a document issued at a news conference by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation.

The second stage will cover islands including the Diaoyu Islands, the document said.

It added that this program is part of the country's efforts to safeguard its maritime rights and interests.

By the end of last year, China had completed the identifying and precise positioning of about 6,400 islands and more than 4,900 island maps of three scales.