For more than a century, a small group of islands in the East China Sea has remained at the heart of competing historical narratives, legal debates and tensions between China and Japan. Drawing on rare archives, historical maps, firsthand accounts and on-the-ground reporting, CGTN's new documentary Diaoyu Dao: Small Islands, Big Stakes examines how history continues to shape the present – and why these islands matter far beyond their size. Premieres July 27 on CGTN.