Japan Demands Explanation After Boy's Fatal Stabbing in China

A recent attack on a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen has led Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to demand an explanation from China. He urged Beijing to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals, amid rising anti-Japanese sentiment. Chinese authorities termed it an 'isolated incident'.

Following the stabbing death of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen, Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has demanded a detailed explanation from Beijing regarding a spate of attacks on Japanese children in China in recent months. Prime Minister Kishida condemned the assault as a 'despicable crime and a serious and grave matter,' urging China to safeguard Japanese nationals 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 declared. '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 on Thursday, China's foreign ministry expressed 'regret and heartache' over what it referred to as an 'unfortunate incident,' offering condolences to the boy's family. Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated the case is under investigation and termed it an 'isolated incident.'

'Similar cases could happen in any country,' Lin commented, adding, 'China has always taken, and will continue to take effective measures to ensure the safety of all foreign nationals in China.' Chinese authorities did not disclose a motive for the attack, although nationalism, xenophobia, and anti-Japanese sentiment have been escalating in the country, often amplified by state media.

China's foreign ministry reported that the boy, whose father is Japanese and mother is Chinese, was stabbed approximately 200 meters from his school on Wednesday morning in the southern city of Shenzhen. He succumbed to his injuries early Thursday, as per the Japanese government, citing Kyodo News. Shenzhen police revealed that a 44-year-old suspect was apprehended at the scene and is now in custody.

The suspect, unemployed at the time, had previously been detained twice for damaging public telecom facilities and disrupting public order, according to state media in Shenzhen. This incident follows a previous attack in June where a Chinese man stabbed a Japanese woman and her child in Suzhou, eastern China, resulting in the death of a bus attendant who tried to intervene.

In response to these assaults, Japan's foreign ministry advised Japanese schools in China to reassess their safety protocols, as Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa disclosed Thursday. Public attacks on foreigners were once rare in China, but a series of recent high-profile stabbings have generated significant concern.

Two weeks before the attack on the Japanese mother and child in Suzhou, four American college instructors were stabbed by a Chinese man in Jilin, northeast China, after a minor collision. China's foreign ministry has called both incidents 'isolated' and has not provided further details on the motives. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)