Evidence Of Private Ownership Of Diaoyutai Before Japan's Claim

Qing Dyn. official record in 1893 showed Empress CiXi had given Diao Yu Tai to an herbalist in a royal creed, as a gift for his service. The grand daughter of the herbalist currently resides in New York. As the owner of DYT, she had presented the documents for authentication in 1959, and was recorded as evidence of Chinese ownership of DYT in 1971 by the 92nd session of US congress - Nov/9/1971 publication of its foreign affairs proceeding accepted this, according to the report:

http://qing.ucdavis.edu:8888/Protect_DYT/report5.gif
[link depricated]

That's two years before Japan made it's royal decree to claim Diao Yu Tai, and before Japanese government issued the lease to "the Japanese owner".