The Anti-Japan protests that have been raging in China for months due to a territorial dispute over some uninhabited islands reached critical mass today, September 18, a date which coincides with the 1931 Japanese invasion of mainland China.

In its latest report, Reuters says that riots in China have reignited by the anniversary and the locals’ anti-Japan feelings are stronger than ever. Protesters have gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing and made their intentions clear, chanting Anti-Japan slogans and holding banners that read things like “Wipe out all Japanese dogs”.

Protesters have also targeted Japanese corporations, in some cases attacking some of their outlets. This has forced most companies, such as Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Panasonic to halt some of their local operations while others have reportedly recalled their workers back to Japan.

“The situation on the ground in China is not so good and I was advised by the locals not to go out. I couldn’t get any work done”, Hisato Takase, a Japanese worker who returned to Tokyo from China, told Reuters/ Even Japanese restaurants have closed since they have been targeted by rioters.

Officially, the Chinese government hopes for a peaceful solution to this crisis. “We still hope for a peaceful and negotiated solution to this issue and we hope to work together and work well with the Japanese government”, said Defense Minister Liang Guanglie after a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta who is currently visiting China.

China and Japan, the world’s second and third largest economies respectively, have a two-way total trade of around US$345 billion. Halting production has resulted in falling stock prices of those Japanese companies that operate in China.

The U.S., a strong ally of Japan is, at the time, remaining neutral in this feud.

By Andrew Tsaousis

Screen Shot via CNN/YouTube

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