Chinese tourists hold flag-raising ceremony on disputed island in South China Sea
- More than 100 visitors wave flags, sing along to national anthem and chant slogans such as ‘long live China’ during event on Yagong Island
More than 100 Chinese tourists took part in a flag-raising ceremony on one of the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, according to mainland media.
The gathering took place over the weekend on Yagong Island, located between Vietnam’s northeast coast and Hainan Island, China’s southernmost province, Shanghai-based news site Thepaper.cn reported on Monday.
Video footage of the ceremony shows a group of Chinese visitors carrying flags and singing along to the Chinese national anthem, and chanting nationalistic slogans such as “long live China”.
“Here I feel that we look very dignified and solemn, because it is the motherland’s most southern point. I have always felt in my heart that I would come to this place,” tourist Deng Runping told the news website.
“Finally my dream was fulfilled, and I feel very proud to be standing here looking at the Chinese flag.”
The tiny island, known in Vietnam as Dao Ba Ba, has an area of just 1 hectare. It was occupied by China after a battle with South Vietnam in 1974 and has a population under 100, mostly fishermen.