China conducts a military drill in the East China Sea, amid a territorial dispute with Japan. While the exact date is unclear, the live drill took place after Japan said, on Tuesday, September 11th. it had purchased islands claimed by both Beijing and Tokyo. Chinese state media said naval exercises are an annual event. News of the drills came as thousands continued anti-Japan rallies in various Chinese cities. Police barricaded the Japanese embassy in Beijing to protect it from protesters. In Shanghai, Japanese restaurants were targeted, and reports said shops were looted and Japanese cars attacked in other cities as well. The dispute escalated on Friday, September 14th when China briefly sent six surveillance ships near the disputed islands. Known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, the islets sit near potentially rich oil and gas fields.
