Apple drops iPad game on Sino-Japan island dispute

The China-Japan spat over the disputed Diaoyu islands in the East China sea has triggered a ripple in cyber world.

Earlier this week a controversial iPad game that had the Chinese defending the uninhabited islands against the Japanese was removed from tech giant Apple's online store.

'It was taken down recently,' the games developer Shenzhen ZQGame Network Co told state-run China Daily in response to an e-mail sent to its complaints department. 'We were given no explanation.'

Tech analyst Sun Mengzi told state media that the reason is likely because of the fact that the game violates the US company's terms of service. The rules specify that 'enemies' within the context of a game cannot target a specific race, culture, real government or corporation, or any other real entity.

The game has been withdrawn at a time when tension between Beijing and Tokyo is on the rise over the island's ownership.

China's 'indisputable sovereignty' over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea must be respected by Japan, Beijing has said.

On Wednesday, Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi met his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba in Phnom Penh where he reaffirmed China's stance on the Diaoyu Islands. Yang urged Tokyo to 'get back to managing differences through dialogue and reconciliation'.

Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara initiated a campaign in April to 'buy' the islands. The move drew protests from Beijing and stirred up tension.