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China warns Japan against 'illegal' trip to islands | |
(about 11 hours later) | |
The Chinese government has warned Japan to stop an "illegal" trip by politicians to a group of disputed islands under Japanese control. | |
A flotilla of some 20 Japanese boats has set sail for the Senkaku (Chinese: Diaoyu) islands and is expected to anchor off them early on Sunday. | |
The politicians plan to commemorate Japanese dead in World War II, when Japan occupied eastern China. | |
But Japan's government has denied them permission to land on the islands. | |
China says the event will undermine its "territorial sovereignty" and this is the latest move in an escalating dispute over the islands. | |
On Friday, Japan deported several Chinese activists who had landed there this week. | |
The islands, also claimed by Taiwan, are close to strategically important shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits. | |
Flotilla | |
Just before 21:00 (12:00 GMT), the 150-strong party sailed out of the Japanese port of Ishigaki. | |
They are expected to arrive off the disputed islands in the East China Sea at dawn on Sunday. | |
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gan said: "Any unilateral action taken by Japan on the Diaoyu Islands is illegal and invalid." | |
Earlier this week, activists sailed to the disputed island chain from Hong Kong in a protest aimed at promoting Chinese sovereignty. | |
China had praised Japan's "wise" decision to free them, saying in an href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-08/17/c_123598725.htm" >article on Xinhua news agency's website that the speedy action had averted a deterioration in relations. | |
Rows over the disputed islands have caused Sino-Japanese ties to freeze in the past. | Rows over the disputed islands have caused Sino-Japanese ties to freeze in the past. |
China claims the largely uninhabited islands has been a part of its territory since ancient times but Japan says it took control of the archipelago in the late 1890s after making sure they were uninhabited. | |
In September 2010, relations plummeted after the arrest of a Chinese trawler captain near the islands. | In September 2010, relations plummeted after the arrest of a Chinese trawler captain near the islands. |
The captain was accused of ramming two Japanese patrol vessels in the area, but Japan eventually dropped the charges against him. | The captain was accused of ramming two Japanese patrol vessels in the area, but Japan eventually dropped the charges against him. |