Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Demands Answers After Japanese Boy Stabbed in China

Tokyo [Japan], September 20: After a 10-year-old Japanese boy was stabbed on his way to school in Shenzhen, China, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida demanded an explanation from Beijing. Kishida called the attack ‘a despicable crime and a serious and grave matter,’ urging China to protect Japanese people in the country.

‘We strongly demand that the Chinese side explain the facts of the case. As more than a day has already passed since the crime, we have instructed them to provide an explanation as soon as possible,’ Kishida said. ‘Such an incident must never be repeated. We strongly urged the Chinese side to ensure the safety of Japanese people.’

At a regular news conference, China’s foreign ministry expressed ‘regret and heartache’ over the ‘unfortunate incident’ and extended condolences to the boy’s family. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the ministry, said the case was being investigated and called it an ‘isolated incident.’

‘Similar cases could happen in any country,’ Lin said. ‘China has always taken, and will continue to take effective measures to ensure the safety of all foreign nationals in China.’

The boy, whose father is Japanese and mother is Chinese, was stabbed around 200 meters from the school gate on Wednesday morning in Shenzhen. He died early Thursday from his injuries. The suspect, a 44-year-old unemployed man, was apprehended at the scene and taken into custody. He had previously been detained twice for damaging public telecom facilities and disrupting public order.

In June, a Chinese man wounded a Japanese woman and her child in a stabbing attack in Suzhou. A Chinese bus attendant who tried to intervene later died of her injuries. Following that attack, Japan’s foreign ministry advised Japanese schools in China to review their safety measures.

Public attacks against foreigners had been rare in China, but recent high-profile stabbings have raised concerns. Two weeks before the Suzhou attack, four American college instructors were stabbed by a Chinese man in Jilin. China’s foreign ministry described both attacks as ‘isolated incidents.’