A 10-year-old Japanese student has died after being stabbed near his school in southern China, just a day after the attack.
The boy, a student at Shenzhen Japanese School, passed away from his injuries early Thursday, according to Japanese officials.
The attacker, identified as a 44-year-old man named Zhong, was apprehended at the scene by local police.
In response, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the assault, calling it “extremely despicable,” and urged Beijing to provide an explanation “as soon as possible.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian acknowledged the investigation, stating that China and Japan were in communication.
“China expresses its regret and sadness that this kind of unfortunate incident occurred,” Lin remarked during a news conference, confirming that the boy was a Japanese national with a Japanese father and a Chinese mother.
While the motive for the stabbing remains unclear, concerns have been raised about rising anti-foreigner sentiment in China.
Some worry that nationalist fervor may be contributing to violent incidents targeting foreigners.
In June, a Japanese mother and her child were attacked in Suzhou, resulting in the death of a Chinese national who intervened. That attack occurred near another Japanese school.
Earlier in June, four American teachers were stabbed in Jilin. Despite these incidents, Chinese authorities have labeled them as “isolated” cases.
Lin reiterated on Wednesday that China is committed to ensuring “the safety of all foreigners in the country.”
The Japanese embassy in Beijing has called on the Chinese government to take measures to “prevent such incidents from happening again.”
Notably, the attack in Shenzhen coincided with the anniversary of the Mukden Incident, a 1931 event in which Japan staged an explosion to justify its invasion of Manchuria, sparking a long-standing war with China.
Former Japanese diplomat Shingo Yamagami pointed to China’s anti-Japanese education as a contributing factor to the attack, stating, “This has cost the precious life of a Japanese child.”
In response to the stabbing, Japanese schools in China, including the Guangzhou Japanese School, have heightened security and cautioned parents.
Some schools have also advised students against speaking Japanese loudly in public.
Earlier this year, Japan sought $2.5 million to fund security guards for school buses in China.
Source-BBC
