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Japan boats reach disputed islands amid China row | Japan boats reach disputed islands amid China row |
(40 minutes later) | |
Boats carrying dozens of Japanese nationalists activists have moored off a group of disputed islands, amid a bitter sovereignty row with China. | |
A reporter with the French AFP new agency, who is with the flotilla, said six people swam ashore, despite being denied permission to land by Tokyo. | |
A group of pro-China activists landed on the islands earlier this week. | |
The Senkaku islands, called Diaoyu in China, are under Japan's control but are claimed by China and Taiwan. | |
They lie on a vital shipping lane, and are surrounded by deposits of oil and gas. | |
The stunt by pro-China activists earlier in the week, who have all since left Japan, enraged Japanese nationalist groups. | |
They launched their flotilla on Saturday, saying they wanted to commemorate the Japanese who died near the islands in World War II. | |
AFP says the activists are now planning to climb to the highest point of the island and plant a Japanese flag. | |
China has said the move undermines its territorial sovereignty. | |
'Illegal' move | 'Illegal' move |
The AFP journalist aboard one of the boats confirmed that the flotilla had arrived off the main island, Uotsurijima, at sunrise. | |
The agency quoted Kenichi Kojima, a local politician from Kanagawa, near Tokyo, as saying: "I want to show the international community that these islands are ours. It is Japan's future at stake." | |
Earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gan said: "Any unilateral action taken by Japan on the Diaoyu Islands is illegal and invalid." | Earlier, 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. | Earlier this week, activists sailed to the disputed island chain from Hong Kong in a protest aimed at promoting Chinese sovereignty. |
Chinese state media had praised Japan's "wise" decision to free them, saying 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 islands have 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. | China claims the islands have 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. |