BEIJING - Protests against Japanese government's move to "purchase" and "nationalize" the Diaoyu Islands continued outside the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Thursday.

Protesters started to gather in front of the embassy compound in the morning, waving banners with slogans such as "The Diaoyu Islands belong to China" and singing the Chinese national anthem.

By 5:30 pm, the protests have drawn more than 2,000 people.

"I believe the (Chinese) government will solve the Diaoyu Islands issue," said a man surnamed Liu. "But as a Chinese, I came here to express my anger over the act of Japanese government."