Protests against Japan’s ‘island purchase’ continue

over 10 000 people marched along several streets before staging protests outside the hotel housing the Japanese consulate yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, the Japanese ambassador to China died in a Tokyo hospital after being admitted three days earlier.
His death coincides with an escalation in anti-Japanese protests across China over a territorial dispute.
The cause of ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya’s death is currently under investigation, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Three days ago, Nishimiya was found unconscious near his Tokyo home after leaving for work.
People urging protestors to refrain from violence could be heard amid the flag-waving and slogan-chanting crowd, and police used outdoor public broadcasting systems to warn protestors against committing crimes.
Authorities in major Chinese cities also beefed up security efforts to prevent violent protestors from damaging property.
Guangzhou authorities said they sent more police to guard Japanese businesses and the hotel housing the Japanese consulate along the protest route yesterday .
The demonstration in Guangzhou ended at about in the afternoon though some protestors lingered for some time before being dispersed by police.
In Haikou, capital of south China’s Hainan Province, 2 600 police officers were dispatched to the site where nearly 4 000 people staged a protest.
Mass protests were also seen in cities such as Xiamen, Hangzhou, Harbin, Nanjing, Hohhot, Changchun and Wuhan.
Xinhua reporters said protests were largely peaceful, with few incidents of looting and car smashing.
Many protestors said they were responding to calls posted on online forums or QQ, a popular messaging service, while others were organised by companies and social groups.
A large police presence could be seen maintaining order at all the protest sites, while some restaurants and stores selling Japanese products closed and hung up Chinese national flags as protestors neared.
The Japanese ambassador to China died in a Tokyo hospital after being admitted three days earlier.
His death coincides with an escalation in anti-Japanese protests across China over a territorial dispute.
The cause of ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya’s death is currently under investigation, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
Three days ago, Nishimiya was found unconscious near his Tokyo home after leaving for work.
A second day of demonstrations took place across China against Japan’s territorial claim to a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea.
China does not recognise Japan’s claim to the isles, which are known to the Japanese as “Senkaku” and as “Diaoyu” by the Chinese.
In Shenzhen, a city near Hong Kong in southern China, police dispersed thousands of activists with water cannons.
And in the eastern city of Qingdou, witnesses reported smoke and flames coming from a factory owned by Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic.
A Toyota dealership was also damaged in Qingdou, a company spokesperson said.
In response, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda called on the Chinese government to “ensure the security of Japanese citizens,”  and decried the recent surge of anti-Japanese demonstrations.
“I strongly object to the burning of Japanese flags and the protests,” Noda said on a Japanese talk show broadcast by NHK.
Tensions between the two countries intensified on Friday when six Chinese ships entered Japanese waters near the disputed islands and ignored the Japanese Coast Guard’s orders to leave.
The move triggered angry protests in hundreds of Chinese cities, some of which were reportedly violent. — Xinhua/RT.