China is to survey the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea as part of a program of mapping its territorial islands and reefs, it was revealed 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 press conference held 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.

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