BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Overseas Chinese in various countries ranging from Italy, Switzerland, Australia, to Indonesia, Malaysia, Zambia, Tanzania and Colombia, Tuesday staged protests against the Japanese government's so-called "purchase" of China's Diaoyu Islands.

In Rome, some 500 overseas Chinese coming from various parts of Italy gathered at the Red Cross Square on Tuesday to mark the Sept. 18th incident in 1931, defend the Diaoyu Islands and condemn Japan's illegal "purchase" of the islands.

They chanted slogans and choruses at the site, flying banners reading "The Diaoyu Islands are China's territories" and "Defend the Diaoyu Islands" to voice their protests in a peaceful and orderly way.

They also read a letter of protest written to the Japanese embassy to denounce Japan's illegal "purchase" of the islands and urge the Japanese government to take concrete actions to improve its relations with China and maintain regional peace.

In Switzerland, 12 local Chinese associations issued a joint statement to express their firm opposition and strong protest against Japan's behavior of robbery.

The Diaoyu Islands since the ancient times have been Chinese territories, which are cared and cherished by all people of Chinese descent generation after generation, the statement said, noting that defending the Diaoyu Islands and safeguarding China's sovereignty are the common will and responsibility of all people of Chinese descent around the world.

In Australia, some 300 local Chinese gathered in front of the Japanese consulate general in Perth, strongly condemning Japan's illegal "purchase" of the islands.

In Indonesia, overseas Chinese representatives also staged a peaceful demonstration in Jakarta, protesting the Japanese government's illegal "purchase" and commemorating the Sept. 18th incident in 1931.

About 100 demonstrators gathered in front of the Japanese embassy in Jakarta at 9:18 a.m. local time, raising banners and placards in Chinese or Indonesian saying "The Diaoyu Islands belong to China," "Defend the Diaoyu Islands" and "Never forget the national humiliation."

During the rally, the protesters chanted slogans and read out a petition in Chinese and Indonesian, waving Chinese flags.

Li Deguang, spokesman of this demonstration, said they had already passed the petition to the Japanese embassy, adding the Japanese inflicted China and other Asian countries great injuries during World War II and Japanese should learn a lesson from the past.

The demonstration was organized by the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce of Indonesia (ZCCI) and representatives of the overseas Chinese in Indonesia.

In Malaysia, some Chinese Malaysians staged a "Defend Diaoyu Islands" demonstration in Malaysia's capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Holding the placards reading "Don't Forget Sept. 18" and "Diaoyu Islands belong to China," chanting slogans such as "The Japanese government must apologize" and reading a statement.

They marched from the downtown headquarters of the Malaysian Chinese Association to the Japanese embassy to demand the Japanese government stop the illegal behavior of "invading China's Diaoyu Islands."

They also called on more Chinese Malaysians and overseas Chinese to join the campaign entitled "Defend the Diaoyu Islands."

Earlier on Monday, Pheng Yin Huah, chairman of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia, issued a statement saying that overseas Chinese around the world condemn the Japanese government's unilateral "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Islands disregarding the feelings of the Chinese people.

He noted the Japanese government's act to stir up Japanese nationals' confrontational emotions against China through the "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands is fully wrong, calling for overseas Chinese to closely watch the resurgence of Japanese militarism.

Meanwhile, he urged the United States to stop its intervention in Asian affairs through the Diaoyu Islands issue.

In Colombia, some 300 overseas Chinese gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Bogota, the country's capital, to protest the Japanese government's illegal "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands.

The demonstrators raised banners showing "Diaoyu Islands belong to China," carried placards and chanted slogans at the site located in the city's financial district, condemning what they called Japan's "invasion" of the islands in the East China Sea.

In Zambia, some 200 Chinese rallied in the capital of Lusaka to protest Japan's violation of China's territorial sovereignty.

In Tanzania, nearly 100 representatives of local Chinese paraded peacefully towards the Japanese embassy on the 81th anniversary of the Sept. 18 incident and submitted a letter of protest, strongly condemning the so-called "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Islands by the Japanese government.

Holding banners and placards in English and Chinese reading "Japan get out of the Diaoyu Islands, Stop Invasion" and "Defend the Diaoyu Islands to Death," they voiced overseas Chinese' determination to defend China's territorial sovereignty.

In Nigeria and Botswana, local Chinese communities also issued statements on Monday or Tuesday, calling on local Chinese to immediately take actions and voice their protests over the Japanese government's attempt to occupy China's territories.

In New York, representatives of local Chinese communities went to the Japanese consulate general and submitted a letter to protest the Japanese government's attempt to invade and occupy the Diaoyu Islands.