In Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, another incident of a Japanese person being attacked has occurred. Japanese media quoted information from the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai, stating that a Japanese mother was walking with her child at a Suzhou subway station on Thursday (July 31) when she was attacked with a hard object similar to a stone, resulting in injuries to the Japanese mother.
Both Kyodo News and NHK obtained this information from the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai. The Nikkei newspaper also reported this incident based on statements from relevant sources in China and Japan.
The injured Japanese mother reportedly received treatment at a hospital and is not in a life-threatening condition.
An informed source told Kyodo News that the attack occurred after the mother and child got off the subway when the child needed to use the restroom.
According to the source who informed NHK, a male suspect fled the scene. Local authorities informed the Japanese side on Friday (August 1) that the suspect had been detained.
Following the incident, the Japanese government urged Chinese authorities to prevent similar incidents from happening again and ensure the safety of Japanese citizens.
Nikkei News reported that on August 1, the Japanese embassy in China sent an email to Japanese residents in China, advising them to be cautious of suspicious individuals and their surroundings when going out and to take adequate precautions, especially when going out with children.
The cause of this incident is still unclear.
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China issued a statement on Friday, expressing serious concerns over this latest incident following a stabbing incident in Suzhou in June last year and the tragic death of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen in September last year. The Chamber strongly urges the Japanese authorities, as well as the Chinese central and local governments, to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens and promptly disclose detailed information, including the background of the incident.
Suzhou is adjacent to Shanghai and is home to many factories of Japanese companies. As of October 2024, approximately 5,000 Japanese residents were living in the area.
In recent years, there have been several incidents of attacks on Japanese people in China. In June last year, in Suzhou City, a Chinese man attacked a Japanese school bus with a knife, injuring a Japanese woman and her child. During the incident, Hu Youping, a Suzhou bus driver who tried to stop the attacker, was stabbed and sadly passed away after being taken to the hospital.
The Japanese Embassy in Beijing has warned Japanese citizens to be vigilant against potential exacerbation of anti-Japanese sentiment. The Chinese authorities have been utilizing the anti-Japanese sentiment domestically during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, releasing related propaganda videos within the country.