Shenzhen, China – The tragic incident of a Japanese schoolboy being stabbed to death in Shenzhen has passed a month, yet the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has not officially announced the motive of the perpetrator. On October 18, according to reports from Japanese media quoting sources, the suspect allegedly committed the crime out of dissatisfaction for being unable to find a job and wanting to draw attention by killing a Japanese person. However, analysts believe that while this information released by the CCP officials may be true, it also aims to downplay accusations of anti-Japanese propaganda against the CCP.
September 18 saw the fatal stabbing of a Japanese boy on his way to school. According to the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau, the suspect is a 44-year-old man surnamed Zhong, who was arrested on the spot and confessed to the crime of using a knife to harm the Japanese child. However, despite ongoing investigations, authorities have not disclosed the perpetrator’s motive.
In response, Iwamoto Keiichi, Consul-General of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs visiting China, held talks in Beijing with CCP Deputy Foreign Minister Deng Li two days ago, urging the Chinese side to quickly ascertain the facts and provide explanations.
Iwamoto Keiichi expressed that following the incident of a Japanese mother and child being attacked in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in June, another stabbing incident involving a child in Shenzhen has led to a rapid increase in concern among Japanese residents in China. In order to reassure Japanese nationals, they not only strongly demand that China ensure the safety of Japanese residents but also urge China to promptly take measures to regulate “malicious anti-Japanese” activities on social networking sites (SNS).
The Chinese authorities have stated that they are aware of the proliferation of misinformation on social media platforms and will take effective measures in accordance with the law, while also strengthening security measures at Japanese schools across the country. However, no further information, including the motive behind the crime, has been provided.
On October 18, a source close to CCP officials revealed to the Yomiuri Shimbun that the male suspect committed the crime out of frustration due to job search difficulties. “The man believed that if he did something extraordinary, he would attract attention; by stabbing a Japanese person, he would generate significant reactions and gain some supporters.” The Japanese school was reportedly targeted by the man through online research.
According to the source, the man hails from a region outside Guangdong Province and was residing in Dongguan, a city adjacent to Shenzhen, at the time of the incident. The shortest distance from the border of the two cities to the school is 30 kilometers.
As per previous announcements by the Shenzhen police, the man did not have stable employment and had engaged in activities such as damaging public telecommunication facilities and spreading false information to disrupt public order.
In recent years, China has experienced unprecedented economic downturns, a rising number of unemployed individuals, leading to a spate of retaliatory incidents in society. Commentator Yue Shan believes that while the information released by the CCP officials may be accurate, it cannot be ruled out that the CCP is attempting to diminish accusations of anti-Japanese propaganda originating from outside.
Yue Shan conveyed to Dajiyuan on October 19, “From this information, it is evident that China’s recent economic hardships, including issues of unemployment and unpaid wages, have resulted in pent-up grievances among the populace, which in a politically restrictive environment remain unresolved, and this internal harm has now spilled beyond the borders.”
“The suspect’s choice to harm a Japanese individual on ‘9/18’, believing he would receive support, is a result of years of anti-Japanese propaganda. The CCP’s assertion that they ‘are aware of the proliferation of misinformation on social platforms and will take effective measures in accordance with the law’ is also empty talk because everyone knows they are the instigators,” he stated.