isles on Monday has left protest leaders -- and the leaders of Taiwan and China -- with searching day-after questions.

Did the private protest flotilla gain anything by raising, if only briefly, the flags of communist China and its arch rival Nationalist Taiwan over the deserted East China Sea islands? And what comes next in a drive by citizens of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and China to win the chain they call the Diaoyus back from Japan, which calls them the Senkakus? Taiwan and Hong Kong newspapers yesterday ran huge colour pictures of what almost universally was hailed as a triumph in a popular campaign to pressure Tokyo to hand over the islands it claimed as war booty after defeating China in 1895.

"After all the struggle and hardship, Protect-the-Diaoyus activists from Taiwan and Hong Kong finally planted their own flags in their own territory,'' Taiwan's China Times newspaper cheered in an editorial.

Hong Kong media indulged in an orgy of victory headlines. "Mission Accomplished,'' screamed the South China Morning Post over a rare full-page image of an even rarer sight -- the flags of communist and Nationalist China side by side.

"China's claim to the islands has thus been physically established,'' a Post editorial said. "Protesters have realised their objective and made their point.'' In an emotional challenge to Japan, a 50-boat flotilla of 300 Taiwan and Hong Kong citizens on Monday overwhelmed some 60 Japanese coastal patrol boats to land a handful of leaders on one of the islands.

But what did they really accomplish? Commentators were quick to point out that the short-lived victory helped little in the simmering sovereignty row and the islands, for now, still remain under Japanese rule.

"Passions will eventually cool,'' the China Times of Taiwan said. "Where do the activists go from here? What exactly do people want to gain from the movement?'' Taiwan's English-language China Post was pessimistic.

"The paradox of the successful protest is that it won't contribute to the resolution of the issue,'' the paper said.

"Simply put, protest is useless... The Japanese are there to stay and they won't voluntarily give up the islands,'' it said.

Japan called the landing illegal and warned it would take "proper measures'' against future landing parties.

Many commentators pinned their hopes on diplomacy, saying it was time for Taipei and Beijing -- rivals since a civil war split them in 1949 and still not on speaking terms -- to take up the citizens' unfinished mission.

"Now may be the time for China to seize the initiative and press for direct talks'' with Japan on the islands, the South China Morning Post said.

Japan has no diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the sides have had two rounds of inconclusive "unofficial'' talks over fishing rights near the islands and other issues stemming from the sovereignty row.

"If Japan wants to live in harmony in the region, it must show goodwill by agreeing to discussions,'' the South China Morning Post said.