No-landing island trip `still success' ( 2003-10-11 01:47) (China Daily)
The Chinese civilians from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong who set out
this week for the Diaoyu Islands were prevented from landing on Thursday by
Japanese ships and helicopters, and the bad weather.
The activists were expected to return to Xiamen in East China's Fujian
Province between 4 am and 6 am on Saturday, Peng Guohui -- one of the
operation's co-ordinators -- told China Daily on Friday.
Zhou Wenbo, a spokesman for the operation, was quoted by Xinhua News Agency
on Friday as saying the operation was aimed at stopping attempts of the Japanese
Government and right-wingers to seize the islands and at safeguarding through
action the Chinese nation's "inviolable sovereignty'' over the islands and
China's territorial dignity.
According to Zhou, those people taking part in the non-governmental operation
were strictly law-abiding and loved the motherland in a sensible way, and they
would not initiate any "drastic'' action against Japan.
The group planned to land on the islands, 190 kilometres northeast of Taiwan,
on Thursday morning to proclaim China's sovereignty over the islands, which are
called the Senkaku Islands by Japan.
The activists sailed to the islands in two ships, with the Minlongyu F861
setting off from Xiamen and the Xinhang 166 setting off from Taiwan. The two
ships joined each other en route and continued the trip together, said Zhou.
The relatively small Xinhang 166 was forced to turn back due to strong winds
and waves, but the Minlongyu F861 managed to reach the vicinity of the Diaoyu
Islands at 2:30 pm on Thursday, Zhou said.
The larger ship carried 10 people -- one from Taiwan, five from Hong Kong and
four from the mainland. Japanese ships and helicopters prevented it from landing
by blocking its way. The ship eventually managed to get to about 100 metres from
the islands and then turned back.
The Minlongyu F861 was expected to arrive in Xiamen on Saturday morning.
The co-ordinator Peng said: "Though the team failed to land on the islands,
the operation can be regarded as a success in the sense of uniting people from
Taiwan, Hong Kong and the mainland for the first time to safeguard the Chinese
nation's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands together.''
Before their departure from Xiamen, the activists issued a statement
expressing their determination to safeguard the dignity of the Chinese nation
and China's territorial integrity. They also called on all Chinese people to
join them in this effort.
Their statement also asked the Japanese Government to make concrete and
practical efforts to shoulder Japan's due responsibilities for world peace and
the peaceful coexistence of both countries.
