Japanese officials reported that a 10-year-old Japanese student in China was killed on Thursday after he had been stabbed the day before on his way to school. They demanded Beijing do more to safeguard Japanese nationals living in China.
“I find this a very despicable and serious crime,” said Prime Minister Fumio Kishhida to reporters.
Kishida stated that he would refrain from “making any prejudgments,” about the possible impact of the stabbing on relations between China, an ally of Washington’s, and Japan.
He said: “Instead, instead of urging the Chinese side to present all the facts regarding this case”.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated Thursday that Beijing is “deeply distressed and saddened by this tragic incident.”
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for Beijing’s regular news briefings said, “We extend our condolences to the family of the boy who died and we express our sympathy.” “The case is still being investigated.”
Lin stated that the boy is a Japanese citizen whose parents are both Japanese and Chinese. He said that the ministry didn’t believe this case would have an impact on China-Japan ties.
He said, “Effective steps will be taken in the future to ensure safety for foreigners, including those from Japan.”
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the student was stabbed Wednesday, about 220 yards from the Shenzhen Japanese School located in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Lin stated on Wednesday that a suspect had been arrested at the scene and the injured student was immediately taken to hospital. The motive for the attack is unclear.
The stabbing took place on the anniversary of the Mukden incident of 1931 when Japanese troops attacked a railway near Shenyang in northern China as a pretext to invade and occupy the region called Manchuria.
Yoko Kamikawa, the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday that her ministry has been advising Japanese institutions and schools to increase safety measures following a stabbing attack in June at a Japanese bus stop in the eastern Chinese town of Suzhou. A Japanese woman and child were both injured. A Chinese national, who attempted to stop the attacker, was killed.
Kamikawa stated that Tokyo, in light of the sensitive nature of the Mukden Anniversary date, had asked the Chinese Foreign Ministry for all the help it could provide to ensure the safety and security of Japanese schools.
She said, “It’s with great regret that the incident happened on this date.”
Kamikawa stated that the Japanese Consulate General in Guangzhou and the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, both responsible for Shenzhen and Shenzhen itself, had requested an explanation from China and asked that “all measures possible” be taken to protect Japanese nationals.
On Thursday, the flags of Japanese diplomatic missions located in Hong Kong and mainland China were lowered.
China and Japan have long been major trading partners. However, the Chinese public has a strong memory of the Japanese occupation during and before World War II. This anti-Japanese feeling, stoked up by Chinese authorities, sometimes manifests itself in protests and boycotts.
The tensions have also increased due to the increased Chinese military activities in Asia-Pacific, which includes Japan. Japan claimed that a Chinese plane violated Japan’s airspace last month in an unprecedented incident. Tokyo confirmed that a Chinese aircraft had entered Japan’s adjacent waters for the very first time, on the day of the stabbing.
China has seen several stabbings, even though gun violence is very rare. The country has some of the strictest gun laws in the world. In June, four U.S. instructors from universities were injured in a knife attack that took place at a park in Jilin, a city located northeast of Beijing. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
Although Chinese social media are often filled with anti-Japanese and nationalist comments, an outpouring has occurred online to show support for the student.
One user posted on Weibo, “Heartbroken.” “I wish for a world free of extremists, and a friendship between China and Japan.”
