After the murder of a Japanese student in Shenzhen on September 18, the Japanese government and various sectors have been demanding that China provide information on the motive of the perpetrator. However, China has largely ignored these requests and even urged Japan to “remain calm” and “avoid politicization and escalation.” This disrespectful attitude from China, combined with recent increased military threats in the vicinity of Japan, has sparked anger among the Japanese public. Prime Minister of Japan has ordered the expulsion of a ship crossing the Taiwan Strait, and there are calls within Japan for a strong stance against China.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi reiterated the demand for China to promptly clarify the facts and provide a clear explanation to Japan at a press conference on September 25. He stated that during a meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan and China in New York on the 24th, China did not provide any background information on the incident or the motive of the suspect.
Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao stated at an event in Tokyo on September 26 that “both countries need to remain calm and ensure the safety of each other’s nationals” in response to the incident of the Japanese student being killed in Shenzhen.
Despite Wu Jianghao’s calls for “remaining calm” on both sides, China’s series of aggressive behaviors have left the Japanese public unable to stay calm.
Since the incident, Chinese authorities have not disclosed the truth of the case or clearly restricted anti-Japanese sentiments or rhetoric. Investigation by Japanese media like NHK has found that while information related to the “Japanese school” is not readily available on Weibo, videos inciting to “demolish Japanese schools” and other unfounded rumors about Japanese schools can still be found on the platform.
To address a series of thorny issues, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa requested during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York on September 24 that China disclose the truth of the incident, promptly remove any content on Chinese social media inciting opposition between the two countries, and prevent the repetition of such events. In response, Wang Yi called it an “isolated individual incident” and urged Japan to “calmly handle” it, “avoid politicization and escalation.”
On September 24, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Japan was associating the case with the so-called “anti-Japanese” sentiments on Chinese social media, labeling it as “exaggeration” and inconsistent with the facts, while also asserting that “there is no anti-Japanese education in China.”
Huang Ruyi, Deputy Director of the Center for Rural Energy Development at the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and concurrently Vice County Mayor of Xinlong County, made inflammatory remarks on social media on September 23, stating, “Killing a child is not a big deal” and making derogatory comments about Japanese people, garnering criticism from major Japanese media outlets like Yomiuri Shimbun for his repeated hostile remarks against Japan.
China’s arrogant attitude has triggered a strong reaction from various sectors in Japan.
Japanese photographer Shigeki Miyajima questioned in an article on September 26 in the Sankei Shimbun, “Why aren’t Japanese people angrier?” He indicated that the incident was heinous enough and that severing diplomatic ties would not be surprising. He expressed hope that the next prime minister would adopt a tougher stance on such matters.
Professor Tomoko Ako of the University of Tokyo urged in a column in the Sankei Shimbun on September 25 that Japan needs to develop a proper analysis of the “threats” it faces from China amidst frequent attacks on Japanese nationals and the exposure of Chinese spies worldwide. She emphasized that the actions Japan takes in response to China’s influence will significantly impact the future of humanity.
On September 25, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s destroyer “Ripple” crossed the Taiwan Strait for the first time. Recently, China has been intensifying its military activities around Japan, with incidents such as a reconnaissance plane intruding […]