A ship belonging to a Hong Kong activist group has set sail for the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The goal asserts China's sovereignty over the islands.

The ship from the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands set sail with 15 people aboard, including crew members and 11 activists. Among the activists, one hails from Macao, one from the mainland and the rest from Hong Kong.

They will join forces with counterparts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Tuesday. Chan Miu-tak, chairman of the Hong Kong activist group, says this voyage was a response to some 50 Japanese lawmakers' plans to land on the Diaoyu Islands on August 19th. According to the Japanese media, that country’s Coast Guard is on heightened alert and has reinforced patrols in waters near the Diaoyu Islands in the wake of the Chinese activists' trip.