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SCMP Reporter

Tong Zeng's actions have been criticised for triggering the latest diplomatic crisis

It is not often that a mainland-based activist gets away with so brazenly ignoring official protocol and orchestrating vocal protests in the heart of Beijing. However, Tong Zeng   is not just any activist, and his cause is one that is on the central government's agenda.

'I dream of flying a kite on Diaoyu,' said Mr Tong, referring to the uninhabited islands claimed by the mainland, Taiwan and Japan.

The 48-year-old civil servant-turned-businessman first came to prominence in the 1990s when he led a movement of Chinese civilians demanding US$180 billion in war reparations from Japan.

Mr Tong is again tackling Sino-Japanese issues in his own way as chairman of the Chinese Civilians Alliance for Defending the Diaoyu Islands.

He masterminded the flotilla that successfully evaded the Japanese coastguard and landed seven flag-waving activists on the disputed islands on March 24.

'It's a victory that we Chinese successfully landed on the islands for the first time after the failure of our three previous attempts,' said Mr Tong.

'We notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before activists attempted three previous voyages, but they notified Japan, asking them to ensure their safety. This time, we didn't tell the ministry,' Mr Tong said.

Within hours of landing,  the seven were arrested by Japanese authorities and taken  to Okinawa for questioning.

The arrests triggered protests outside  the Japanese embassy in Beijing. As activists burned more than 30 Japanese flags, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged nine diplomatic protests over the detentions. The activists were quickly freed.

'We Diaoyu defenders have the same goal as the central government, and we haven't received any pressure from it to change our campaign,' Mr Tong said. 'The central government's emphasis on ownership over the islands is not enough. It should lobby other politicians, especially those in the US, to make sure they at least have a clear idea that the islands are disputed.'

Mr Tong said another group of activists would attempt a landing on the Diaoyu Islands next month, and this time he hoped some foreigners would join the voyage as it would put Japan in an even more 'uncomfortable' situation. He also said he was considering taking action against Vietnam's decision to run sightseeing tours to the Spratly Islands, claimed by the mainland, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Mr Tong believes the final solution to the Diaoyu dispute will come through diplomacy. 'The result will be Chinese sovereignty over the islands, but that can be developed in co-operation with Japan,' Mr Tong said.

Liu Xiaobiao,  a visiting scholar with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes the activists must have come under some pressure from the central government because their actions triggered the diplomatic crisis with Japan.

'Those activists brought the government into the issue as it was the government who had to intervene after the seven were arrested. It's a disturbance to China's diplomatic route of 'peaceful emergence',' said Mr Liu.

He blamed the Diaoyu campaign for fanning the flames of anti-Japanese sentiment on the mainland, and igniting other campaigns such as a boycott of Japanese goods.



Diaoyu activist pushes boundaries of protest