Japanese Flotilla Reaches Disputed Islands

Nationalists raise the stakes with China

Boats carrying Japanese politicians and activists have moored off a group of disputed islands, amid protests by China which claims them for its own.

Some 150 Japanese, most of them nationalists, are on the boats at the Senkaku islands, called Diaoyu in China, which are under Japan's control.

They want to commemorate Japanese dead in World War II, despite being denied permission to go ashore.

China says the event will undermine its territorial sovereignty.

Comments

[Sevo]

"They want to commemorate Japanese dead in World War II, despite being denied permission to go ashore."

Uh, what?!
The WWII Japanese dead were a result of Japanese policies. They should 'commemorate' them in front of the Imperial Palace.
And they should offer apologies to the Chinese and thanks to the US for dropping nukes and saving millions of Japanese.
If it isn't obvious, I'm sick of Japan claiming to be some sort of victim in a war Japan started.

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

Let the Japanese choose 40 of their best swordsmen, arm them with baseball bats. Then let the Chinese choose 40 of their best swordsmen and arm them cricket bats. Put them both on the disputed island. Which ever country has the most survivors wins the island.

[Whahappan?]

Perhaps it's a typo, but if the islands are under Japan's control, how are they being denied permission to land, and how does it undermine China's territorial sovereignty?

[bc15]

My guess is that Japan's government is the one denying permission to land. As far as "undermining" China's territorial sovereignty goes, China thinks that anytime anyone else doesn't just agree to give China whatever territory China wants, that's a violation of China's sovereignty: from these islands, to Taiwan, to the entire South China Sea.