A Japanese boy stabbed by a man while on his way to school in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen died of his wounds early Thursday morning, the Japanese government said, sparking fears the incident will worsen already strained Sino-Japanese ties.
The 10-year-old, whose father is Japanese and mother is Chinese, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was wounded in the abdomen near a Japanese school Wednesday morning and had been receiving treatment at a hospital. The suspect, 44, was apprehended by police stationed near the educational facility.
It remains unclear whether the attacker intentionally targeted a Japanese national. The stabbing sent shockwaves through the Japanese community in China, with a businessman who lives in Guangdong Province with his family saying, “We should be vigilant and take measures such as avoiding being heard speaking Japanese outdoors.”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the fatal stabbing of the schoolboy an “extremely despicable crime” and told reporters in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, that he has instructed officials to strongly urge Beijing to share information on the incident “as soon as possible.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference Thursday, “We regret and feel saddened by this unfortunate incident.” He said Beijing will “continue to take effective measures to protect all foreign nationals in China.”
The spokesman, however, said he believes “similar cases may happen in any country” and the latest attack will “not affect exchanges and cooperation” between the two Asian neighbors.
Lin added that the case is under investigation, and the perpetrator will be punished according to the law. China and Japan have been maintaining communications over the matter, he said.
Eyewitnesses said the boy was bleeding from the stab wounds and was given a heart massage at the scene. The child’s mother was with him at the time of the attack.
The stabbing followed a knife attack in Suzhou near Shanghai in June in which a Japanese mother and child were injured. A Chinese woman died while attempting to stop the assailant.
Following the June knife attack, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called it an “isolated incident” and said such cases “could happen in any country.” China is “widely recognized as one of the safest countries in the world,” she remarked at that time.
Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a Tokyo press conference, “We are deeply saddened” by the death of the boy, adding Japan will continue to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in China.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Tokyo demanded Beijing “make every possible effort” to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals. She also instructed Japanese officials to craft measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
Given Wednesday marked the 93rd anniversary of a Japanese bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang, Japan had asked the Chinese Foreign Ministry last week to take thorough safety measures for Japanese schools, according to Kamikawa.
The 1931 bombing was the start of the Manchurian Incident that led to Japan’s invasion and occupation of northeastern China, which lasted until the end of World War II.
The residence of Japan’s Ambassador to China, Kenji Kanasugi, flew a Japanese national flag at half-staff Thursday to mourn the boy, with the envoy visiting Shenzhen later in the day to meet with the victim’s family and senior officials in the city, where some 3,600 Japanese nationals reside.
Kanasugi conveyed regret over the incident in telephone talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, according to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.
Japan’s consulate general in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, which also includes Shenzhen, said senior municipal government officials visited the victim’s home and extended condolences over the boy’s death.
A number of local residents offered flowers in front of the gate of the Japanese school in Shenzhen to show sympathy. One of them said he is “ashamed of the criminal act as a Chinese national.”
The Japanese embassy held an emergency meeting with business and Japanese school representatives to brief them on the case. The education ministry in Tokyo has decided to send counselors to the Shenzhen school to provide psychological care to students and teachers.
A Chinese man in his 60s who accompanied his granddaughter to a kindergarten near the Japanese school said he was surprised to learn of the fatal stabbing, and it was “really regrettable.” The man said he believes the suspect “cannot make a rational judgment.”
Another Chinese man in his 60s, a Guangzhou resident, said the incident was “unforgivable,” adding, “I’m worried about the possible negative impact on Sino-Japanese relations going forward.”
Ties between the Asian neighbors have deteriorated over issues such as China’s detention of Japanese nationals over espionage allegations and Beijing’s total import ban on Japanese seafood, imposed after the country began releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in August last year.
It is feared that the series of attacks on Japanese nationals may further hinder bilateral exchanges and Japanese investment in China.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China said in a statement Thursday it has directly asked Kanasugi to take measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and that the entity will continue to urge both the Japanese and Chinese governments to pursue the truth about the incident.
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