More than 50 Chinese cities saw mass protests against Japan on Sunday, with police in the southern city of Shenzhen using tear gas and water cannons to dispel an angry mob.The protests swept through China over the weekend, as large mobs demanded that Japan hand over control of a small island chain known as the Diaoyu in China and the Senkaku in Japan.
In Beijing, demonstrators pelted the Japanese embassy with eggs and rocks, in front of masses of paramilitary police.- In other cities, there were violent incidents, including the torching of a Panasonic factory and a Toyota dealership in Qingdao.
- Some protesters who smashed cars in Xian, as crowds attacked Japanese-made vehicles, were identified by Chinese internet sleuths as policemen.
More than 1,000 protesters in Guangdong burned Japanese flags and stormed a hotel next to the Japanese consulate, while in the central city of Chengdu there was even an attempt by protesters to take their grievances to the US consulate.- Some Chinese observers believe that America is backing Japan over the island dispute.
Leon Panetta, the US Defence secretary, arrived in China on Sunday and warned that territorial tensions could bubble over into conflict.- "I am concerned that when these countries engage in provocations of one kind or another over these various islands, that it raises the possibility that a misjudgement on one side or the other could result in violence, and could result in conflict," he said.
There have not been any reports of serious injuries to Japanese living in China, but Yoshihiko Noda, the prime minister of Japan, called on the authorities, who appear to be tacitly allowing the protests, to ensure the safety of citizens and businesses."This situation is a great disappointment and so we are protesting" to China, he told Fuji Television.
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