SUAO, Taiwan // Dozens of Taiwanese fishing boats set sail yesterday for disputed East China Sea islands that are also claimed by China and Japan.
Taiwan's coastguard sent out at least 10 patrol boats alongside the more than 60 fishing vessels, with some of the patrol ships carrying fully armed elite coastguard personnel.
"We'll do everything to protect our fishermen. We do not rule out using force to fight back if Japan were to do so," said Wang Chin-wang, the head of the coastguard.
The fishermen aim to highlight Taiwan's claim over the uninhabited islands, known as Diaoyu in China but Senkaku in Japan, which lie 400 kilometres from the Okinawan capital of Naha and 200 kilometres from Taiwan.
The islands, which are administered by Japan, lie on vital shipping lanes and are believed to be located near potentially rich gasfields.
The 61 fishing boats flying Taiwan flags and demonstration banners left Suao, a port in north-east Taiwan. The 300 fishermen and 60 reporters aboard are expected to arrive around dawn today.
Once there, the vessels plan to sail inside Japan's 12-nautical-mile territorial zone surrounding the islands.
The boats carried signs written in Chinese characters reading "Diaoyutai belongs to Taiwan" and "Fighting for fishing rights for survival".
Amid protests against Japan, which this month bought some of the disputed islands, Tokyo plans to send a special envoy to Taiwan today, the foreign ministry in Taipei said.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
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