On Wednesday (Aug. 15), the 67th anniversary of the end of World War II, seven people disembarked off a boat from Hong Kong and set foot on the Uotsuri Islet of Japan's Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Okinawa police arrested five of them, and the Japanese Coast Guard arrested two who returned to the boat plus seven others who had remained aboard it. Those who landed on the islet waved the national flags of China and Taiwan, both of which claim the islands.

The 14 activists, journalists and others were not indicted; instead, they were handed over to immigration authorities. Hoping to end the incident quickly, the Japanese government decided to deport them. That's a wise decision as it should help prevent bilateral relations between Japan and China from deteriorating.