Islands move sparks protest

Overseas Chinese protest against Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's decision to "nationalize" the Diaoyu Islands, which belongs to China, in front of the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles on July 12, 2012. Japanese vessels interfered with Chinese official patrol of waters off the Diaoyu Islands, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Friday. China is "strongly dissatisfied" with Japan over the issue, Liu said, stressing that Chinese fishery administration vessels entered the waters to conduct routine patrols. Photo by Mao Jianjun / CNS

LOS ANGELES - A group of Chinese-Americans rallied Thursday outside the Japanese consulate here against Tokyo's recent provocations over China's Diaoyu Islands.

The Japanese government recently announced an interest in buying the uninhabited islands, a move that immediately drew strong protests from China and has strained the relations between the two neighbors.

Shouting "Diaoyu Islands are ours" and holding slogans of "Diaoyu Islands Belong to China," the protesters tried to present a letter of protest to the consulate, but no staff turned up to accept it.

"This is their usual practice, to ignore our demands and our presence," said Roy Ying, one of the rally's organizers.

Ying said the Chinese-Americans came here to register their anger over such provocative moves and Japan's claim on the Diaoyu Islands, which have been China's inherent territory since ancient times.

"We should make our voice heard by the Japanese government," Ying said."We will never give up Chinese territory, not even an inch."

Cai Chenghua, president of the Chinese American Federation, said at the rally that Chinese-Americans should voice their concerns over Japan's claim and send out a clear message that the Chinese will not allow their territory to be invaded by Japan.