The Chinese community in Vancouver launched a demonstration last week condemning Japan’s recent provocative moves over China’s Diaoyu Islands.

Some 200 people rallied outside the office of Vancouver’s Japanese consulate, brandishing signs with slogans like “Condemn Japanese rightist illegal conspiracy” and “Diaoyu Islands are China’s territory, violations will not be allowed,” among others.

“We strongly condemn the Japanese government for their barbaric actions in illegally occupying the Diaoyu Islands,” said Hilbert Yiu, speaker of the protest and president of the Chinese Freemason Society of Vancouver.

“These actions cannot change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands have been China’s inherent territory since ancient times,” Yiu added.

Jun Y. Ing, vice president of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, told Xinhua that his group organized the rally as national pride was at stake.

He stressed the need for a peaceful resolution through dialogues.

“We ask all Chinese people across the globe to strengthen our unity, closely monitor the ongoing developments, safeguard Chinese national dignity and defend the territorial integrity of our motherland,” Ing said, adding that it is important to “expose and condemn any Japanese illegal conspiracies.”

The protesters originally planned to deliver a declaration on the Diaoyu Islands to the Japanese consul in Vancouver, yet the consulate office declined to accept it.

On August 15, Japanese authorities illegally captured 14 Chinese activists who landed on the islands, which gravely heightened the tensions between the two countries over the island disputes.

The Japanese provocation also sparked strong protests in many parts of China against Japan’s gross violations of Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Diaoyu Islands and its surrounding islets have been the inherent territory of China since ancient times, as they were first found, named and used by the Chinese, which can be proved historically China says.