HONG KONG, Oct 22: About 25 Hong Kong activists set sail on Sunday for a group of islands in the East China Sea, where they planned to hold a peaceful protest against Japan’s claim of sovereignty, members of the team said.

The voyage also marked the 10th anniversary of the death of activist David Chan Yuk-cheung, who drowned trying to land on the islands in 1996.

“Return sovereignty to us,” chanted the activists at a downtown pier as they set off for the trip.

Hong Kong lawmaker Albert Ho had planned to travel with the group, but backed out on Friday citing family reasons. Bidding them farewell, Ho said safety was top priority.

“The trip is to declare sovereignty and a mourning activity. It’s not a must to land people on the island,” Ho said. “The guiding principle of this trip is it must be peaceful, orderly and disciplined.”

The activists’ ship was equipped with jet skis, motorboats and scuba-diving gear, which would enable members to land and to raise the flags of China and Hong Kong, a former British colony which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Two vessels from Taiwan will join the expedition, which will arrive at the islets on Wednesday.

Japanese officials were aware of the voyage and warned that the activists would be expelled if they landed illegally on the islands, the South China Morning Post reported.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao issued a strongly worded demand on Sunday for Japan to ‘treat calmly’ the activists. He told Japan not to take any action that would jeopardise the Chinese citizens’ safety.

Mr Liu said China possessed indisputable sovereignty over the islands, stressing the Chinese government was unswerving in its will and determination to safeguard the sovereignty.

However, he said: “China has always proposed to resolve the dispute through negotiations.”

The uninhabited islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds.—AP