Anti-Japanese protests broke out in several cities in China for a second day on Sunday over a territorial dispute involving a small group of islands known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.
The protests have increased after Japan's decision on Tuesday to purchase some of the disputed islands from a private Japanese ownerwhich Beijing said amounted to a violation of its sovereignty.

The protests began in Bejing and have spread to other cities, with demonstrators hurling rocks, eggs and bottles at Japanese diplomatic missions.


[Interview : ] "I think the Japanese are so shameful, I am very angry. I now feel like swearing at somebody, at the Japanese Government, at Noda."

In at least four other Chinese cities, protestors looted shops, damaged Japanese-made cars, and broke into a dozen Japanese-run factories in the eastern city of Qingdao.


[Interview : ] "It is OK that regular people come out here to protest and vent our feelings, but we can't go to extremes, we can't loot or damage things, it is illegal to do that, We shouldn't do anything illegal."

The biggest clash on Sunday was in the southern city of Shenzhen where thousands of protesters occupied a major street before police intervened with tear gas and water cannons.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urged Bejing to protect his country's companies and diplomatic buildings from assaults. China wants to contain the violence without upsetting its citizens ahead of its expected leadership succession next month. Noda's government also faces an election in the coming months, adding pressure on him not to look weak on China.

Kim Hyun Bin Arirang News

Reporter : hyunbin@arirang.co.kr