Nine Chinese activists and their vessel are now back in east China's Zhejiang Province, but seven others are still being held by Japanese authorities after their landing on China's Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. Japan claims the islands are part of its territory.

The activists' fishing boat, Zhepuyu No. 21114, returned to port in Leqing City on Thursday afternoon after a 6-hour journey.

Yu Haize, organizer of the campaign to land on the islands, said, "We eventually landed on the Diaoyu Islands, but seven people who landed on the island were detained by the Japanese coastguard. We are very much concerned about their situation. The Japanese government should send them back."

A total of 16 volunteers took part in the mission. The seven activists, including Feng Jinhua and Zhang Likun, landed on the island at 6:26 AM on Wednesday after they left a port in east China's Zhejiang province at 1:00 AM Tuesday.

Japanese warships and helicopters intercepted their ship on Wednesday afternoon 12 nautical miles off the island as the activists planned their return home.

The Chinese ship first encountered Japanese warships about 3:00 PM Wednesday and was forced to change its route, leaving the sea area surrounding the islands.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Thursday that China demands the Japanese guarantee the security of the seven detained Chinese citizens and release them immediately and unconditionally.

Kong said this illegal action by the Japanese constitutes a serious infringement on China's territorial integrity and an abuse of the human rights of Chinese citizens.

China has lodged nine protests with Japan, said Kong, underscoring the government's stance on the Diaoyu Islands issue. Diaoyu Island and the surrounding islets have been part of Chinese territory since ancient times and China has indisputable sovereignty over them.

The Diaoyu Islands were seized by Japan in 1895, when the country defeated Qing dynasty forces. The islands were under US control after World War II, and the United States turned them over to Japan in 1972.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2004)