Beijing threatens to clamp down on anti-Japan protests

Beijing has threatened to clamp down on anti-Japanese rallies after protests triggered by Tokyo's purchase of the disputed Diaoyu Islands turned ugly over the weekend.

Police in some mainland cities have banned protests as the government backs away from the tacit encouragement of public anger over the territorial row.

There were still some protests targeting Japan yesterday, but they were smaller than those over the weekend. In Beijing, dozens of protesters marched to the Japanese embassy.

With some mainland cities planning activities to mark today's 81st anniversary of the Mukden Incident - an explosion staged by Japan and used as a pretext for its invasion of China - internet users in more than a dozen cities, including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanning , have called for mass rallies.

Organisers hope 10,000 people will attend a rally in Changsha , Hunan . That has prompted concern from authorities following violent demonstrations over the weekend that saw cars, shops and businesses with Japanese ties vandalised.

Police in Xian , Shaanxi , have banned large protests in crowded areas and locations near government offices. The use of phone text messaging and online messaging to organise illegal assemblies is also forbidden.

The government of Zhuhai , Guangdong, urged its residents to stay away from large crowds. In Guangzhou, police detained 11 people who vandalised Japanese cars and shops, as did police in Qingdao .