Senkaku Islands dispute
In 1971, the Senkaku Islands dispute arose. The administration of the Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands was transferred from the United States to Japan. On 14 February 1971, Hong Kong students established the Hong Kong Action Committee in Defence of the Diaoyutai Islands (). The Action Committee held demonstrations in front of the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong. Twenty-one people were arrested, seven of whom were university students. On 17 April, the Hong Kong University Students' Union held a peaceful demonstration involving about 1000 students. On 7 July, the HKFS held a demonstration on a larger scale. In 1971, the HKFS was an illegal organisation and some students were arrested by the Royal Hong Kong Police. On 13 May 1975, the federation held its last protest over the issue.