On Monday, June 24th, a man attacked a school bus of a Japanese school in Suzhou with a knife, causing severe injuries to a Chinese woman and minor injuries to a Japanese woman and her child, according to an official from the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai. This incident marks the second knife attack involving foreigners in China recently.
Reports from the Japan Times state that the Chinese woman on the bus is in critical condition, while the Japanese woman and her child, who were waiting at a bus stop, sustained injuries but are not in life-threatening condition.
The incident took place in an area with a significant number of foreign residents, including Japanese nationals. The school was closed on Tuesday, and security measures have been heightened at other Japanese schools in China.
Although the motive behind the attack remains unclear, the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai has dispatched staff to the scene for investigation. Meanwhile, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing has cautioned Japanese nationals to remain vigilant following the attack.
In a message released later on Monday, the Embassy urged Japanese nationals residing in China to “closely monitor the surrounding situation” and highlighted recent knife attacks at parks, schools, subways, and other crowded places across China.
The Embassy stated in a statement that the suspect appears to be Chinese and has been detained.
A Japanese expatriate living near the incident expressed concerns, saying, “I thought this area, with many Japanese residents, was relatively safe.”
“As a parent, I am very worried,” said the expatriate who took a day off work. “My company told me to ensure my safety.”
In recent weeks, a series of knife attacks have occurred in various parts of China. Earlier this month, four American university teachers were stabbed in a park in Jilin. These attacks have sparked reactions from Chinese social media users, some of whom have linked the incidents to dissatisfaction with the economic downturn.
Bloomberg reported that the recent knife attacks may signal a setback in Sino-Japanese relations, which have been strained due to issues such as the discharge of nuclear wastewater and the dispute over the Diaoyu Islands.
When asked whether the attack is related to the tense relations between China and Japan, the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai declined to comment.
Japanese companies are the largest source of foreign direct investment in China, but as the Chinese economy slows down and geopolitical tensions escalate, these companies are becoming increasingly hesitant to make new investments.
There are 11 Japanese language schools in mainland China.