On Wednesday, October 9th, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya had a phone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During the call, Iwaya requested an explanation from the Chinese side regarding the stabbing incident involving Japanese citizens in China, as well as the intrusion of Chinese military aircraft into Japanese airspace.
This marked the first communication between Iwaya and Wang since Iwaya assumed office as Japan’s Foreign Minister last week.
In a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the call between Iwaya and Wang, Foreign Minister Iwaya urged China to clarify the case of the Japanese boy who was attacked, as security concerns among Japanese citizens in China have escalated. Japan also called for China to enhance measures to protect Japanese citizens, and both sides agreed to continue communication on this matter.
Last month, a 10-year-old Japanese boy was fatally stabbed while on his way to school in Shenzhen. This incident further heightened tensions in the diplomatic relationship between China and Japan. Then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the heinous act and demanded a swift explanation from China regarding the incident.
In June of this year, a Japanese mother and son were injured when a Chinese man wielding a knife attacked a bus carrying students from a Japanese school in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
Despite Beijing’s assertion that these incidents are isolated cases and that they will continue to ensure the safety of all foreigners in China, observers have noted a rising tide of nationalism and anti-foreign sentiment in China in recent years, fueled by the Chinese Communist Party’s anti-Japanese education and propaganda efforts. The occurrences of these attacks have raised concerns among outsiders about the existence of anti-Japanese sentiment in Chinese society.
Regarding the call between the Japanese Foreign Minister and Wang Yi on Wednesday, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that Iwaya expressed “serious concerns about the increasingly active activities of the Chinese military” and sought an explanation from the Chinese side regarding the violation of Japanese airspace by Chinese military aircraft in August.
On August 26th, a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance aircraft intruded into Japanese airspace, prompting Japan to scramble at least four fighter jets in response. This marked the first instance of Chinese military aircraft violating Japanese airspace. Japan subsequently declared the incident as completely unacceptable, citing a severe infringement of Japanese sovereignty and a threat to the country’s security. Japanese authorities also lodged a protest with officials at the Chinese embassy in Japan.
In the statement released by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the call between Wang Yi and Takeshi Iwaya, there was no mention of the two concerns raised by the Japanese Foreign Minister. Instead, it highlighted Iwaya conveying the message that “the new Japanese Cabinet is willing to comprehensively advance the mutually beneficial strategic relations between Japan and China.”
According to the Chinese statement, Wang Yi emphasized the need to “promote bilateral relations along the right track towards healthy and stable development.” Furthermore, Wang Yi also touched upon the Taiwan issue, expressing hope that Japan would adhere to its political commitments on Taiwan and cultivate an objective, rational, and friendly understanding of China.
(This article is based on reporting from Reuters.)