Thousands of anti-Japanese demonstrators have mounted protests in cities across China over disputed islands in the East China Sea, a day after an attempt to storm Tokyo's embassy in the capital.
Beijing was infuriated last week when Japan said it had bought the rocky outcrops and while the authorities often suppress demonstrations, many of Sunday's events took place with police escorting marchers, while state-run media called the protests "reasonable".
In the capital, Beijing, several thousand people, mostly young, carried Chinese flags and images of Mao in front of the Japanese embassy. Police were seen in heavy numbers.
According to the South China Morning Post, there were heavy clashes in Shenzhen, where police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters.
The demonstrators called on Japan to withdraw from the islands.
The dispute between the two countries escalated on Friday when six Chinese ships began patrolling the waters around the islands.
On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said his country urged Chinese authorities to take measures to quell violence against its citizens and companies in China.
"We are also lodging a serious protest against the destruction of the Japanese flag," the premier said on television.
Japan had bought three of the five disputed islets for 2 billion yen ($A24.76 million) earlier this week, drawing anger from the Beijing.
China on Thursday filed with the United Nations charts showing the base points and baselines that support its claim to the islands and the surrounding waters.
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