Clamer waters

Although the Diaoyu Islands have long been the focus of deep feeling in Hong Kong, last year's protest expedition which claimed the life of David Chan Yuk-cheung has heightened emotions. Inevitably, it has added a poignant note to a new expedition marking the anniversary of his death.

But it is hoped that those who join this voyage will use their time at sea for a little quiet reflection about the heavy price already paid in the crusade, and will also consider whether any of their aims can be achieved by less confrontation.

Things have changed for the better in recent months. The lighthouse which sparked the controversy has been dismantled, and Japan has also banned its activists from landing on the islands. When a group tried to do so two weeks ago, they were turned back by their own coast guards when still 20 nautical miles from the coast.

These are positive signs that Japan does not want further trouble over these rocky outcrops, and is doing what it can to diffuse tension. The new bilateral Sino-Japanese fisheries treaty agreed on the eve of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's visit to Beijing this month allows each country to fish in each other's economic zones, effectively shelving the territorial dispute over the islands for the time being.

Eventually, like every other thorny bilateral issue, it will be solved at the negotiating table, when the time is right. Today, efforts are being made by both sides to increase economic ties and enhance understanding. Mr Hashimoto has apologised for the suffering caused by Japanese troops during the last war and, even if that is still far from adequate, it is at least a start.

However heartfelt the activists' cause, and however right they feel, another attempt to land on the islands will be highly risky and unlikely to succeed.