Japan Urges China to Ensure Safety of Japanese Nationals

Jiji Press

11:34 JST, September 24, 2024

Beijing (Jiji Press)—A senior Japanese official urged China on Monday to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in the country following the fatal knife attack against a Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, southern China, last week.

Meeting with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Beijing, Yoshifumi Tsuge, Japan’s state minister for foreign affairs, also called on the Chinese side to get to the bottom of the incident, including the motive of the suspect, as early as possible.

To prevent a recurrence, Tsuge called for thorough actions to be taken against groundless and malicious anti-Japanese posts on Chinese social media.

He also emphasized the need for Japan and China to cooperate to ensure safety at Japanese schools in China, such as exchanging information and taking measures when children commute to and come home from school.

Sun reiterated feelings of regret and profound grief over the latest incident, according to the Japanese side. Sun also said that the Chinese side will provide necessary support to the boy’s family and make efforts to ensure safety of Japanese and other foreign nationals in China.

But he said that the case was an accidental incident and continued to refrain from touching on the suspect’s motive.

Tsuge told reporters after the meeting that the Chinese side seems to be attaching importance to the incident. But he added: “Determining the suspect’s motive is extremely important for preventing a recurrence. We can’t move forward unless this is resolved.”

The boy, 10, a student of a Japanese school in Shenzhen, was attacked on his way to school by a knife-wielding man Wednesday morning. The child was sent to hospital for treatment but died in the small hours of Thursday. The suspect was captured by local police at the site of the crime soon after the incident.

Over anti-Japanese social media posts, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference Monday that no anti-Japanese education is offered in China.

At a meeting Monday with representatives of Japanese expatriates, including officials of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, Tsuge said, “We will do everything possible, placing top priority on safeguarding children in particular.”

Tetsuro Honma, head of the chamber, said, “Employees of Japanese companies in China and their families have expressed great concern, so we ask you again to ensure safety (of children).”