Japanese activists depart for disputed islands
- 11 years ago
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
STORY: A flotilla of boats carried more than 80 Japanese nationalists and departed late Monday for waters near disputed islands at the center of a territorial row with China.
Last year a landing by members of the same group on one of the islets in the East China Sea triggered anti-Japanese protests in China.
The flotilla of 10 boats chartered by nationalist Ganbare Nippon ("Stand Firm, Japan") departed Ishigaki port, 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the islands at about 2200 local time (0100 GMT) and is expected to arrive near the uninhabited rocky islets early on Tuesday (April 23) to survey fishing grounds.
The group said it does not plan to land there, although it gave the same assurances during a similar trip last August during which activists landed on one of the islets, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Tensions over the uninhabited islands - located near rich fishing grounds and potentially huge oil-a
STORY: A flotilla of boats carried more than 80 Japanese nationalists and departed late Monday for waters near disputed islands at the center of a territorial row with China.
Last year a landing by members of the same group on one of the islets in the East China Sea triggered anti-Japanese protests in China.
The flotilla of 10 boats chartered by nationalist Ganbare Nippon ("Stand Firm, Japan") departed Ishigaki port, 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the islands at about 2200 local time (0100 GMT) and is expected to arrive near the uninhabited rocky islets early on Tuesday (April 23) to survey fishing grounds.
The group said it does not plan to land there, although it gave the same assurances during a similar trip last August during which activists landed on one of the islets, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Tensions over the uninhabited islands - located near rich fishing grounds and potentially huge oil-a