Tokyo, April 10, SPA -- Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura summoned China's ambassador on Sunday to lodge a protestand demand an apology and compensation following a violentanti-Japan rally in Beijing the day before, as a simmeringdiplomatic row threatened to further erode ties between theAsian heavyweights. Machimura lodged Tokyo's protest with Chinese AmbassadorWang Yi at the Foreign Ministry, urging Beijing to takesteps to prevent attacks against Japanese. "The vandalism took place not only at the JapaneseEmbassy and the ambassador's official residence but also at(Japanese) companies and shops. I told him (Wang) that thevandalism is an extremely serious problem," Machimura toldreporters. Tokyo also asked for a formal apology, compensation fordamages and assurances that Beijing would protect Japanesenationals and prevent a recurrence, he added. Machimura said Wang replied that both sides should stay"calm" and not let the incident hurt ties. Wang later told reporters that Beijing didn't support theviolence.--SPA1138 Local Time 0838 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/253419