Japan Warns Citizens in China

BEIJING (AP) -- Japan's embassy in China is urging its citizens to pay more attention to their safety there as sensitive anniversaries and territorial tensions might exacerbate anti-Japanese sentiments.

The embassy notice cites the anniversary of the end of World War II on Aug. 15 and two other dates in September marking key events in the often-fraught history between China and Japan. It said some incidents of harassment of Japanese citizens in China have been reported, although there have been no signs of a recurrence of the violent anti-Japanese protests of 2012.

Anti-Japanese feelings run high among many Chinese, who believe Tokyo has never truly shown contrition for its brutal invasion and occupation of much of China in the 1930s and 1940s.

Those spike from time-to-time, often over events surrounding East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but claimed by China.

Japan's foreign minister summoned China's ambassador this week and lodged a protest over the increased number of Chinese vessels in waters near the islands, called Senkaku by Japan and Dialoyu by China.

Beijing has also expressed concern over planned visits by members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among Japan's war dead.

(KA)