On September 22 (Sunday), Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Yoshifumi Tsuchiue arrived in Beijing to communicate with the Chinese authorities regarding the incident in which a 10-year-old Japanese boy was fatally stabbed in Shenzhen last week. On September 23 (Monday), Chinese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong met with Tsuchiue.
Tsuchiue requested that China take concrete measures to ensure the safety of Japanese expatriates in China. He urged the Chinese authorities to thoroughly control the “unfounded and malicious anti-Japanese posts” on Chinese social media platforms and demanded that China investigate and clarify the motive of the perpetrator in this incident. While the attacker was arrested at the scene on September 18, so far, China has not disclosed the motive behind the attack.
Tsuchiue emphasized the need for both the Japanese and Chinese governments to take specific actions, such as exchanging information between Japanese diplomatic missions and local police with Japanese schools in China, implementing safety measures based on how students commute to and from school, and enhancing cooperation in initial responses to emergency situations.
Sun Weidong stated that this was an “isolated” case and assured the safety of all foreign citizens, including Japanese nationals, in China.
This incident is one of a series of attacks against foreigners in China in recent months and the second attack targeting Japanese individuals. On June 24 this year, a Chinese man attacked a school bus at a Japanese school in Suzhou, resulting in the death of a Chinese bus attendant who was trying to protect a Japanese mother and her child.
The death of the Japanese boy last week is putting a strain on the relations between China and Japan, which have long been tense due to historical grievances, territorial disputes, and other issues. The attack took place on the 93rd anniversary of Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931, with alarms ringing across China to commemorate the day.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated in a press conference on Monday that Sun Weidong met with Tsuchiue, where they exchanged views on China-Japan relations and issues of mutual concern.
They agreed during the meeting to “properly and calmly handle this unfortunate incident” and “maintain communication to prevent isolated incidents from affecting bilateral relations.”
Lin also mentioned that there is no such thing as “anti-Japanese education” in China. Following the attack on the boy, many local residents visited the site to lay flowers in tribute, condemning violence and praying for lasting friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples.
He mentioned that the case is still under investigation, with Shenzhen authorities recently releasing information on the progress of the investigation. China will continue to assist the family as much as possible with post-incident matters but refrained from commenting on the attacker’s motives.
The Japanese government has formally protested against the attack, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his condolences for the boy’s death, requesting once again that China provide more information.