STAY 'LEVEL-HEADED': WANG
Machimura demands apology from China
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura lodged a formal protest with Chinese Ambassador Wang Yi on Sunday and demanded an apology for an anti-Japanese rally in Beijing the previous day that turned violent. Chinese Ambassador Wang Yi (right) meets with Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, where Japan expressed its displeasure with a demonstration that took place in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing the previous day. "A series of acts of vandalism on not only the Japanese Embassy and the ambassador's residence, but also Japanese firms, is indeed a serious problem," Machimura told reporters after a half-hour meeting with Wang at the Foreign Ministry. But later Sunday in Beijing, Qin Gang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said "the responsibility for the current state of affairs between Japan and China does not rest with China." Machimura sought assurances for the safety of Japanese nationals and asked that steps be taken to prevent a repeat of Saturday's events. He also called on the Chinese side to pay for the damage. "Although (China had taken) security measures, it is problematic that security was not effective enough to prevent such an incident," Machimura said. Wang responded by telling Machimura that Japan's concerns will be conveyed to China, and called for both sides to be "level-headed" in dealing with such matters, according to the minister. He added that Wang did not issue a clear apology during the meeting. "The (Chinese) government does not endorse any violent actions," Wang told reporters in Japanese after the meeting. A Foreign Ministry official later quoted Wang as saying that China would do "its utmost" to prevent violent activities from occuring in the future. Japan and China are currently making arrangements to hold talks between their foreign ministers in Beijing on April 17. Machimura is expected to use the opportunity to urge his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing, to take steps to prevent such vandalism. Thousands of Chinese protesters marched in Beijing, accusing Tokyo of distorting its wartime past and urging a boycott of Japanese products. Some participants hurled rocks, eggs and plastic bottles at the embassy and the ambassador's residence as well as restaurants and a bank. No official figures were announced, but estimates of the number of anti-Japanese protesters in the demonstration ranged from 10,000 to 20,000. It is believed to be the first major anti-Japanese demonstration in Beijing since the two countries normalized relations in 1972. About 20 window panes were broken at the embassy, according to a Japanese Embassy official. The Japan Times: April 11, 2005
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The protesters repeated their demands for a boycott of Japanese goods, to block Japan from obtaining a seat on the U.N. Security Council, and for Japan to change textbooks which they say whitewash Japan's war atrocities.
Chinese protests against the publication of a Japanese government textbook continued for a second day in China, (Sunday) as an estimated three thousand protesters marched on the Japanese consulate in Guangzhou. Thousands of protesters also marched in Shenzhen, throwing objects at Japanese businesses.

The protesters repeated their demands for a boycott of Japanese goods, to block Japan from obtaining a seat on the U.N. Security Council, and for Japan to change textbooks which they say whitewash Japan's war atrocities. Protesters burned Japanese flags while singing and shouting anti-Japanese slogans. They also carried anti-Japanese signs along with Chinese flags.
Chinese view the textbook as "whitewashing" the events and actions of Japan to cast them in a more positive light. 

The protests are against the , which is publishing a high-school textbook that refers to the Nanjing Massacre as an "incident" ( translation) and de-emphasizes the roles of comfort women as well as the contemporary issues surrounding Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni shrine, in honor of Japanese soldiers. 

The Japanese government has claimed that the demonstrations have an "anti-Japanese sentiment," for which China should apologise.
In , Japan formally summoned Wang Yi, China's ambassador to Japan, concerning China's actions on Sunday.

"We formally demanded China’s apology and compensation," said Japanese Foreign Minister . He also said that Wang Yi replied "No" when asked for an apology.

While not issuing a formal apology through diplomatic channels, Wang claimed that China did not approve of the violent aspects of the protests.

"The (Chinese) government does not agree with extreme action," he said.

Back in , the ''People's Daily'' reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang deflected blame away from China for the recent downturn in Sino-Japanese relations.

"Japan must adopt an earnest attitude and appropriate ways to deal with major principled issues concerning the feelings of the Chinese people," Qin said. "The Japanese have to do more things conducive to enhancing mutual trust and maintaining the relations between the two countries, rather than doing the reverse," he said.