1 of 3. A protester destroys an overturned Japanese-brand police car with an metal rod during an anti-Japan protest in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, August 19, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Keita Van
TOKYO | Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:41pm EDT
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan urged China on Monday to protect its citizens after anti-Japanese protests rocked Chinese cities on the weekend, and stressed that a feud over disputed islands in the East China Sea should not damage ties between Asia's two biggest economies.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Chinese cities on Sunday, with groups overturning Japanese cars and shouting slogans denouncing Japan's claims to the islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
The demonstrations came after 10 Japanese nationalists swam to the islands on Sunday in a tit-for-tat move following a similar landing by Chinese activists last week.
Both China's government, which faces a once-in-a-decade leadership change later this year, and Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, whose ratings have tanked since he took office last September and may be forced to call an election soon, are under domestic pressure to take a tough stance over the islands.
"Both countries do not want the Senkaku issue to affect overall bilateral ties. The Sino-Japanese relationship is one of the most important bilateral ties for Japan, and it is indispensable for the stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region for China to play a constructive role," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a news conference.
"We would like to continue to deepen mutually beneficial relations between Japan and China, keeping a broader perspective in mind," Fujimura said.
"Regarding the protests in China, we are asking, above all, to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals (in China)."
The anti-Japanese protests in part reflect bitter Chinese memories of Japan's occupation of large parts of China in the 1930s and 1940s.
Chinese mainstream media were critical of Japan, but some also suggested that violent protest was not the way to go.
"Japan has made a series of mistakes in the Diaoyu Island issue, and has hurt the Chinese people's feelings," said the China Youth Daily.
"The young people's patriotism is laudable ... but for a selected number of those who are smashing their fellows' vehicles, damaging public propertyâ