China will open the first sea route linking Xiamen City, east China's Fujian Province, to its disputed territory of the Diaoyu Islands for a trial voyage at the end of March, according to a civilian group defending the islands' sovereignty.

Tong Zeng, president of the Federation of Chinese Non-governmental Organizations for Defending Sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, said the test navigation would prepare for smooth regular operation of the route in May, which would help many tourists from the mainland and Hong Kong realize dreams of traveling to the scenic islands.

Over 700 people had applied to join the voyage, but the federation would select only 20 participants, Tong said, adding the most qualified would be activists within the federation, experts, scholars and reporters.

Chen Kezhi, a painter and a deputy to the All-China Youth Federation who has already been selected, said he would continue a painting named "Bombard" during the six-day sea travel, according to a report by Wednesday's China Youth Daily.

He considered the painting, depicting Japanese invaders' wanton bombing and massacre in southwest China's Chongqing city six decades ago, an important memorial to the 60th anniversary of Japan's 1945 surrender next year.

As a territory of China, the Diaoyu Islands have rich resources for tourism development. The federation started discussing tourist business with a travel agency in Fujian at the beginning of March.

Located in the East China Sea between China and Japan, about 120 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan, the Diaoyu Islands have belonged to China since ancient times.

But the dispute flared up as the Japanese government admitted to leasing some of the islands last year.

It further infuriated China, as two boats carrying 20 civilians to assert China's ownership of the islands and inspect them for tourism purposes were attacked by Japanese warships last October.

The federation would continue to insist on its firm defense of China's sovereignty over the islands, but would take more rational and constructive actions, Tong said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2004)