Man Arrested Over China Murder Of Japanese Schoolboy; Unclear Motives Likely Included Anti-Japanese Animus

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:03 JST, November 30, 2024

A Chinese man who had been taken into custody after allegedly stabbing a Japanese boy on his way to school in Shenzhen, China, in September has been officially arrested on suspicion of murder, it has been learned.

Chinese police authorities have taken the step against the man, who is in his 40s, on suspicion of stabbing the 10-year-old boy while he was walking to a Japanese school in the city, according to several sources familiar with Japan-China relations.

Judicial proceedings are expected to follow to prosecute the man.

Chinese authorities have not disclosed details on the suspect’s motives or possible factors behind the incident, although the Japanese government has been calling for Beijing to provide such information. According to sources close to Chinese authorities, however, the man is believed to have become disgruntled with society as he struggled to find a job, and targeted a Japanese national in a bid to attract more attention.

The man attacked the boy on Sept. 18, the anniversary of the 1931 Liutiaohu Incident, a railway bombing that led to the Manchurian Incident. It is thought that anti-Japanese sentiment was intensifying in the run-up to that day.

China is marking Dec. 13 as the 87th anniversary of the Nanjing Incident by the Imperial Japanese Army. There are 12 Japanese schools in the country, including Hong Kong, which have decided that they will either temporarily close or provide online classes on that day.