Taiwanese protest against Japan over disputed Diaoyu islands

Hundreds of Taiwanese rallied on Sunday to press Taipei’s claim over disputed East China Sea islands at the centre of a major row between Beijing and Japan.

Nearly 1,000 people marched through the town of Toucheng, in northeastern Ilan county, clutching banners and flags and chanting slogans.

Several demonstrators wore white T-shirts with slogans such as “Safeguarding the Diaoyu”, using the Chinese name to refer to the islands known as Senkaku in Japanese.

Taiwan has placed the islands – which are controlled by Japan – under the administration of Toucheng town government.

The protest came after dozens of Taiwanese fishing boats from Ilan county last week entered territorial waters around the disputed islands to press Taipei’s claim.

Japanese coastguard ships sprayed water at the fishing vessels in a bid to turn them away, prompting a fleet of Taiwanese coastguards to fight back, directing their own high-pressure hoses at the Japanese ships.