On September 18, a 10-year-old boy from the Shenzhen Japanese School was tragically killed on his way to school, shocking the world. The public condemned the authorities for the consequences of hate education. In recent days, Japanese companies in Shenzhen are demanding an increase in the travel warning level to China.
According to reports from Nikkei Chinese website and Kyodo News, on September 27, the Japanese Consulate General in Guangzhou, responsible for the Shenzhen area, held a briefing for local Japanese companies.
Approximately 250 people from around 100 companies attended the meeting, which lasted nearly two hours and was held both offline in the city and online. Companies unanimously expressed the need to “raise the travel warning level to China,” as Japanese living in China are increasingly vigilant.
On September 25, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated travel information to China on its website. While the danger level has not been raised, the description of the situation in China now includes phrases such as “violent incidents such as knife attacks on the streets,” urging increased vigilance.
Regarding the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs not including China in the four-tiered “outbound danger warning” system, participants at the meeting suggested “adjustments should be made” and “warnings should be issued to Japanese expatriates in China.”
During the briefing, attendees expressed dissatisfaction to the Japanese Consulate General in Guangzhou, Yoshiko Takashima, asking “if more warnings are needed,” with others in agreement.
Masahiro Uchida, Chairman of the Shenzhen Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that “many member companies have begun to take concrete actions, such as temporarily sending employees and their families back to Japan, investigating intentions to temporarily return, etc.,” and they “feel uneasy about the future.”
It was reported that the Japanese Consulate General in Guangzhou and the Shenzhen Japanese Chamber of Commerce will further discuss safety measures for children commuting to school.
According to Kyodo News, the Shenzhen Japanese School attended by the boy who was fatally attacked is continuing classes in online format. The school is currently coordinating the resumption of students taking buses to school after the end of the upcoming “Golden Week” holiday in China.
The Japanese school in Guangzhou has decided that starting on October 8, all 13 school bus routes will be accompanied by a security guard. Many students at the school who do not walk to school rely on these buses. The school council (led by the Guangzhou Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry) has tentatively agreed to cover related expenses until the end of March next year, estimated to be around 340,000 to 390,000 RMB.