Japan's territorial disputes with its neighbours flared anew on Sunday as a group of nationalist activists swam ashore and raised flags on an island also claimed by China. <\/p>\n
Chinese took to the streets in protest, as Beijing lodged a formal complaint, urging Tokyo to prevent frictions from escalating further. <\/p>\n
Ten Japanese made an unauthorised landing on Uotsuri, the largest in a small archipelago known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands and in China as the Diaoyu Islands. <\/p>\n
The uninhabited islands surrounded by rich fishing grounds are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan. <\/p>\n
Of the 10 who visited the island, five were conservative local assembly members. <\/p>\n
\"The Senkakus are undoubtedly Japanese territory,\" said Eiji Kosaka, an assembly man from Tokyo's Arakawa district. <\/p>\n
\"It is to be expected that Japanese would take that to heart.\" <\/p>\n
China's Foreign Ministry protested, summoning Japan's ambassador to voice its complaints. <\/p>\n
\"The Japanese side should properly handle the current issue and avoid seriously damaging the overall situation of China-Japan relations,\" ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement. <\/p>\n
Tokyo rejected a complaint by China's ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Flags, tensions rise over disputed islands<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Japan's territorial disputes with its neighbours flared anew on Sunday as a group of nationalist activists swam ashore and raised flags on an island also claimed by China. Chinese took to the streets in protest, as Beijing lodged a formal complaint, urging Tokyo to prevent frictions from escalating further. Ten Japanese made an unauthorised landing on Uotsuri, the largest in a small archipelago known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands and in China as the Diaoyu Islands. Continue reading