A mass protest directed against Japanese claims of sovereignty over the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands took place in Chengdu on Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported. State media claimed that more than 2,000 people participated in the protests, a figure eclipsing past demonstrations over the territories. The protest was quickly shut down by authorities on Saturday, and it remains unclear whether the protesters had official permission to conduct the demonstrations. Smaller protests over the islands occurred in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing and the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai earlier this month, when Japan’s high-profile detention of a Chinese captain alleged to have hit a Japanese naval vessel sparked friction between the two nations. In central Tokyo, about 2,500 protesters gathered outside the Chinese Embassy to denounce China’s claims to the islands.
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