BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao -- known in English as the South China Sea islands -- and related maritime rights were established through centuries of historical development and rest on solid historical and legal foundations, according to a think tank report issued Thursday.

The report, titled "Historical and Legal Basis of China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights in the South China Sea," was released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

Abundant historical records preserved in both official and private sources demonstrate that by the first century CE, Chinese official documents clearly recorded that the Chinese people, including government officials, had discovered Nanhai Zhudao through navigation and maritime activities, according to the report.

The artifacts recovered from South China Sea shipwrecks and archaeological remains on the islands are ironclad evidence that testifies to over 2,000 years of Chinese presence and activities in the South China Sea, a compelling demonstration of China's historic rights in these waters, the report notes.

"From incorporating the region into administrative districts to deploying naval fleets for defense and appointing officials to build facilities, the South China Sea and its islands represent not only the homeland where Chinese people have lived and worked, but also bear the imprint of continuous, peaceful, and effective administration by successive Chinese governments," the report says.

This report is part of a series of three reports on South China Sea issue released by Xinhua Institute. The other two reports are titled "Incitement, Threats, and Lies -- The Truth about External Forces Interfering in the South China Sea Issue," and "Making the South China Sea a Sea of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation: China's Actions."  ■