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China praises 'wise' Japan move in islands dispute China warns Japan against 'illegal' trip to islands
(about 11 hours later)
China has praised Japan's "wise" decision to free a group of activists who sailed to a disputed island chain, in a state media commentary. The Chinese government has warned Japan to stop an "illegal" trip by politicians to a group of disputed islands under Japanese control.
The href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-08/17/c_123598725.htm" >article on Xinhua news agency's website said the speedy action had averted the deterioration in relations. 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 activists sailed to the islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from Hong Kong in a protest aimed at promoting Chinese sovereignty. The politicians plan to commemorate Japanese dead in World War II, when Japan occupied eastern China.
Some were deported, while others agreed to sail back. But Japan's government has denied them permission to land on the islands.
The islands are the subject of a long-running sovereignty dispute. China says the event will undermine its "territorial sovereignty" and this is the latest move in an escalating dispute over the islands.
China claims the uninhabited chain has been a part of its territory since ancient times. On Friday, Japan deported several Chinese activists who had landed there this week.
But Japan says it took control of the archipelago in the late 1890s after making sure they were uninhabited. The islands, also claimed by Taiwan, are close to strategically important shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits.
Although Xinhua's commentary praised Japan for freeing the activists so quickly, it also added some strident criticism. Flotilla
"[Japan's] disrespect and insulting moves towards neighbouring nations have brewed disaster, and normalisation of China-Japan relations 40 years ago only took place after its post-war reflection," the commentary said. Just before 21:00 (12:00 GMT), the 150-strong party sailed out of the Japanese port of Ishigaki.
"Now the country obviously needs to return to that reflection and reconsider how it can get along with Asian countries." They are expected to arrive off the disputed islands in the East China Sea at dawn on Sunday.
Some of the activists arrived back in Hong Kong to a hero's welcome, and immediately promised to return to the islands. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gan said: "Any unilateral action taken by Japan on the Diaoyu Islands is illegal and invalid."
They were arrested when five of the landed on the islands. Earlier this week, activists sailed to the disputed island chain from Hong Kong in a protest aimed at promoting Chinese sovereignty.
The last time any non-Japanese visited the chain was in 2004 when another group of Chinese activists tried a similar stunt. 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.
They were also quickly deported.
The latest incident caused anger on both sides.
The two countries lodged formal protests with each other, while the US urged the two nations to resolve the row peacefully.
The islands are close to important shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits.
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.