THE documentary Diaoyu Islands： The Truth by internationally acclaimed， awardwinning director Chris D. Nebe， President of Monarex Hollywood Corporation， premiered in the U.S. in 2014.

Nebe compiled various valuable materials， notably from the U.S. Library of Congress， to write the documentary which he then directed， at a personal cost of US $500，000. He addresses a specific period of history from his own perspective， one step at a time， referring chronologically to wide-ranging， previously unknown historical materials. The documentary has gained wide acclaim among Western audiences eager for fresh ideas that present history from a different perspective.

“Much of this history is disastrous and at times horrifying； the purpose of this film is to encourage reconciliation，” Nebe said. He hopes his book on the subject will reveal the historical truth – that the Diaoyu Islands have always belonged to China.

As a written distillation of the Diaoyu Islands： The Truth video， the book adds more details in its recreation of the documentary， and at the same time combs through the ins and outs of the Diaoyu Islands issue.

The book constitutes a piece of real history from the perspective of a Westerner， based on his own research. It consequently seems more persuasive than Chinese authors works， which tend to “count their chickens before they are hatched.”

The book takes as its backdrop the historical relationship between China and Japan. Starting from the first recorded military conflict between the two countries， it describes the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 to 1895 through to the Japanese invasion of 1937， with particular emphasis on Japans war crimes against China and other Asian countries during World War II. Abundant historical photographs and rare source materials make the book a compelling as well as shocking read.

Nebe writes in his book： I am the creator of the Mysterious China Series. Today I would like to address the issue of the Diaoyu Islands， a small group of uninhabited islands…The Diaoyu Islands conflict is one of those disturbing relics of post-imperial colonialism， which continue to haunt Africa， the Middle East and Asia to this day. In the particular case it is Imperial Japan， which in 1895 after the Sino-Japanese War， annexed the Diaoyu Islands. These islands have been Chinese territory since ancient times.

Director Nebe told the reporter that most Westerners were biased against China due to a lack of specific knowledge. He hopes to reveal the truth：“Several centuries ago， the Diaoyu Islands were Chinese territory. I would like to send a message through this documentary that the U.S. government should encourage its Japanese allies to return these islands to China and apologize for their war crimes.”endprint

The documentary totally consumed Nebe for a year， eight months of which were spent on preparation. “Research on existing materials is particularly important. We have collected a large amount of video materials from various sources， including the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration，” Nebe said.

These historical facts review the sequence of wars of Japanese aggression against China since 1895， and bear witness to the fact that Imperial Japan annexed the Diaoyu Islands. Nebe recalls the historical Battle of Beakgang between China and Japan that took place in 663 AD during the Tang Dynasty （618-907）. He also criticizes the U.S. government for denying justice to China and putting the Diaoyu Islands“under the administration” of the United States under the Treaty of San Francisco of 1951.

In Nebes view， the documentary is intended neither to earn money nor to speak on behalf of the Chinese government. It is rather driven by conscience， and his desire to adopt a responsible attitude towards history. Nebes cherished documentary aims at revealing a historical truth – “The Diaoyu Islands belong to China.”

These lines appear on the flyleaf：

Our world has become a global village. We depend on each other. We must understand and respect our diversity.

The forces of history determine the future！endprint