Japan told not to harm Diaoyu Islands activists

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 25, 2004

Japan told not to harm Diaoyu Islands activists

China Wednesday told Japan to treat its citizens who landed on the Diaoyu Islands carefully and not take any action that would jeopardize their safety. Seven Chinese citizens landed on the islands after a sea journey early on Wednesday, and they were detained by the Japanese coastguard in the afternoon.

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Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan Wednesday demanded Japan not harm seven Chinese activists who landed on the Diaoyu Islands and repeated China's proposal to solve the disputes through negotiations.

"We demand that Japan treat them (Chinese activists) in a cool-headed manner, and not take any actions that will harm their personal safety," said Kong.

He reiterated that the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands have been China's inherent territory since ancient times. "The Chinese Government has all along proposed resolving the dispute through negotiations," said Kong.

Seven Chinese activists landed on the disputed Diaoyu Islands at 6:26 am Wednesday morning in rubber rafts, bringing with them a Chinese national flag measuring 1.5 metres in width. Their rafts were later towed away by the Japanese Coast Guard.

The activists, reportedly on a scientific expedition aiming for future tourism development, then scouted the topology, geography and water temperature on the islands.

By press time, the Japanese police had arrested all seven people, according to media reports. They are Feng Jinhua, Zhang Likun, Yin Dongming, Hu Xianfeng, Wang Xiqiang, Fang Weiqiang and Yin Hongmin.

Lu Yunfei, a spokesman for a non-governmental organization campaigning for protecting China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, said Japanese warships and helicopters intercepted their ship on Wednesday afternoon 12 nautical miles off the island as the Chinese activists planned to return home by the fishing ship.

The Chinese ship first encountered Japanese warships about 3 pm Wednesday, and was forced to change its route, and leave the sea area off the islands. The Japanese warships continued to bar the ship from sailing in to pick up the seven who had landed, said the spokesman.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry news release said Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui and an official in the Department of Asian Affairs held urgent meetings with the charge d'affaires of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.

Japan's Vice-Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi Wednesday lodged a protest with China's ambassador to Japan, Wu Dawei, over the event.

Located in the East China Sea between the southern Japanese island of Okinawa and China's Taiwan, the cluster of islands includes Diaoyu Island, Huangwei Yu, Chiwei Yu, Nanxiao Dao, Beixiao Dao Island and some reefs, covering an area of 6.3 square kilometres. They provide access to rich fishing grounds and potential oil deposits.

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