Protests targeting Japan were held in several major cities yesterday, prompting the postponement or cancellation of sports and cultural-exchange activities involving Japanese.
In Beijing, separate groups of protesters assembled outside the Japanese embassy at different times amid a stepped-up police presence.
There were about 100 protesters gathered at one point, with some waving the Chinese national flag and chanting "Diaoyus belong to China", referring to the disputed island chain in the East China Sea.
Japan this week agreed to buy three of the chain's five islets from a private Japanese owner. The chain is also claimed by Taiwan.
The protests on the mainland were peaceful, though one protester reportedly threw a plastic water bottle.
In Changsha, Hunan, more than 10 demonstrators gathered outside a shopping mall with Japanese ties. Dozens of protesters also took to the streets in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.