China adds new languages to Diaoyu Islands website

BEIJING - China on Saturday launched new versions of a website on the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

The Chinese version of the National Marine Data and Information Service website went online in December 2014, and now French, German, Spanish, Russian and Arabic versions have been added.

English and Japanese versions were launched in March this year.

The website publishes archive materials, articles, videos and legal documents that show the Diaoyu Islands to be part of China.

Japan protested against the website and asked Beijing to shut it down in March. The request was turned down.

China and Japan have been in disputes over the islands for many years.

In 2012, Tokyo "purchased" and "nationalized" the islands, seriously straining China-Japan relations.

In November 2014, China and Japan signed a four-point agreement to ease tensions, including resuming political, diplomatic and security dialogues while acknowledging different positions on the Diaoyu Islands.