A diplomatic row is heating up between China and Japan over a few uninhabited islands in the waters north of Taiwan, which both countries lay claim to. <\/p>\n
China lodged a formal protest ahead of this weekends visit by a group of Japanese nationalists, including several politicians, to the disputed islands known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan in the East China Sea. <\/p>\n
The Japanese group, numbering more than 100, headed to islands early Saturday morning and is expected to arrive on Sunday. <\/p>\n
They are planning a ceremony to commemorate the countrys dead from the Second World War. Boats will circle the islands as the group holds the event. <\/p>\n
The Japanese protest flotilla is a response to a similar action by 14 Chinese activists this week, who reached the islands on Wednesday. A handful of the activists swam to land, planting Chinese flags and declaring the islands part of China. <\/p>\n
Ownership of the islands would provide exclusive mineral, oil and fishing rights in surrounding waters. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Read more: <\/p>\n
China protests Japanese visit to disputed islands<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A diplomatic row is heating up between China and Japan over a few uninhabited islands in the waters north of Taiwan, which both countries lay claim to. China lodged a formal protest ahead of this weekends visit by a group of Japanese nationalists, including several politicians, to the disputed islands known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan in the East China Sea. Continue reading