HK activists' boat tailed by Japanese government ships
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HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong activists trying to reach disputed islands claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan said on Wednesday that they were being tailed by Japanese government ships trying to stop them, as territorial disputes continue to raise tensions among Asian powerhouses.
A fishing boat carrying eight activists and two reporters was 18 nautical miles from the islands in the East China Sea by midafternoon on Wednesday, activist Chan Miu-tak told reporters in Hong Kong.
The islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and have long been a source of tension in the region.
The group was hoping to reach the islands by late afternoon and go fishing as a way to assert China's claim to them.
