Seven of the 14 Chinese activists illegally detained by Japanese police for landing on one of the Diaoyu islands Wednesday arrived in Hong Kong by plane at around 19:50 local time Friday.

Their plane took off from Naha airport in southwest Japan at around 18:40 local time Friday.

The other group of seven have also boarded a plane of Japan Coast Guard to fly to Ishigaki Island where their vessel was detained and will return later Friday on the boat they came from, according to local media reports.