A 10-year-old Japanese boy was fatally stabbed near his school in Shenzhen.
The boy, who was a student at the Shenzhen Japanese School, was rushed to the hospital but eventually died from alshis injuries on Thursday morning.
The assailant has been identified as a 44-year-old man with the surname Zhong. He was arrested at the scene shortly after the stabbing, according to local police.
Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, described the stabbing as ‘extremely despicable’ and is urging Beijing to explain the reasoning behind attack.
Lin Jian, the spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said the case is currently being investigated and that the two countries are currently working through it together. He also told reporters that China ‘expresses its regret that such an unfortunate incident happened.’
The 10-year-old victim was a Japanese national with a Chinese mother and a Japanese father.
The motive behind the stabbing is currently not known. However, some people are worried that the national sentiment in the country may be leading to increased violence towards foreigners.
Just a few months ago, a Japanese mother and her child were attacked in Suzhou, China, by a man near a Japanese school. Hu Youping, who was working as a school bus attendant, ultimately lost her life protecting the mother and son pair.
Following the incident, an outpouring of condolences and tributes were seen on social media.
In June, four American expats were also attacked with a knife in the city of Jilin.
So far, Beijing has said all of these cases are ‘isolated incidents’.
The Japanese embassy is calling on the Chinese government to stop such cases from occurring again.
Some people have noted that the recent attack happened on the anniversary of the Mukden Incident, when Japan staged a fake explosion to justify invading Manchuria in 1931, actions that ultimately led to a 14-year war.
Over the years, the two countries have not had the greatest relationship as they often clash on various issues from territorial disputes to historical grievances.
According to one Japanese diplomat, the recent stabbing in Shenzhen was the result of ‘numerous years of anti-Japan education’ in China.
Since the incident, several Japanese schools in the country notified parents, putting them on high alert.
Some schools, such as the Guangzhou Japanese School, have also canceled school events and activities. They have also warned individuals not to speak Japanese loudly in public as it may catch unwanted attention.
