Japan activists land on disputed islands amid China row

The Japanese activists raised their country's flag after they landed

At least 10 Japanese nationalist activists have landed on a group of disputed islands, amid an escalating territorial row with China.

The activists swam ashore after a flotilla carrying about 150 people reached Japan's controlled Senkaku islands, called Diaoyu in China.
Japan's coast guard is now questioning the activists, who had earlier been denied permission to visit the islands.
The move triggered protests in China and strong condemnation from Beijing.
More than 100 people gathered near the Japanese consulate in China's southern city of Guanghzou, demanding the Japanese to leave the islands, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Anti-Japanese rallies were also held in Shenzhen, Qingdao and Harbin, the agency reported.
The islands in the East China Sea lie on a vital shipping lane, and are surrounded by deposits of gas.
They are also claimed by Taiwan.