19-9-2024 (BEIJING) A 10-year-old Japanese boy has succumbed to injuries sustained in a stabbing attack in Shenzhen, China. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday morning as the child was en route to his Japanese school, has raised serious concerns about the safety of foreign nationals in China and threatens to further strain already tense Sino-Japanese relations.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa confirmed the boy’s death in the early hours of Thursday, expressing profound sorrow and grave concern over the incident. “I take this incident extremely seriously,” Kamikawa stated during a press briefing. “This should never happen in any country. Particularly, I sincerely regret that this despicable act was committed against a child on his way to school.”
The attack took place at approximately 8am on Wednesday, with Chinese authorities swiftly apprehending the suspected assailant, a 44-year-old individual, at the scene. The timing of the incident has not gone unnoticed, coinciding with the anniversary of a 1931 event that precipitated war between China and Japan – a date that remains sensitive in the context of current diplomatic tensions.
This tragic event marks the second attack targeting individuals associated with Japanese educational institutions in China in recent months. In June, a similar incident in the eastern city of Suzhou resulted in the death of a Chinese national who heroically intervened to protect a Japanese mother and child from an attacker on a school bus.
The Japanese government has responded by calling on China to provide a comprehensive explanation of the circumstances surrounding the attack and to implement robust safety measures to prevent future occurrences. The incident has underscored the fragile state of Sino-Japanese relations, which have been under increasing strain due to various geopolitical factors.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, reports emerged on the same day of a Chinese aircraft carrier entering Japan’s contiguous waters for the first time. This military manoeuvre, the latest in a series of provocative actions, prompted a formal protest from Tokyo to Beijing, further exacerbating diplomatic tensions.
