10-year-old Japanese boy dies after stabbing near his school in China

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• A 10-year-old Japanese student was stabbed near his school in southern China and has died, officials in Tokyo said.
• The attacker was arrested on the spot and the case was still under investigation, according to a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.
• The incident occurred around the anniversary of Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria, now northeast China.

A 10-year-old Japanese student who was stabbed near his school in southern China has died, officials in Tokyo said Thursday, asking Beijing to provide details of the stabbing and take preventive measures. A suspect is in custody.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa expressed condolences and noted that the attack occurred despite Tokyo’s requests for caution and enhanced safety as China marks a key anniversary of its war with Japan.

The student was stabbed on Wednesday about 220 yards from the gate of the Shenzhen Japanese School, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian said in a daily briefing. Lin said the attacker was arrested on the spot and the case was still under investigation.

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In a statement released Wednesday, Shenzhen police said a 44-year-old man with the surname Zhong had been taken into custody in connection with the knifing of a minor.

No motive for the attack was immediately clear.

Kamikawa noted that Japan had asked China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for increased security around Japanese schools ahead of the Sept. 18 anniversary of the Mukden Incident in 1931, which China marks as the beginning of Japanese invasion of Manchuria, now northeast China.

Chinese authorities inspect the scene of a stabbing at the Shenzhen Japanese School in Shenzhen, China, on Sept. 18, 2024, after a 10-year-old Japanese student was attacked by a man. (Kyodo News via AP)

An explosion on a Japanese railway in the northern city of Shenyang caused by Japanese soldiers but blamed on the Chinese was used as a pretext for the invasion.

“I find it extremely regrettable that the attack occurred despite that,” Kamikawa said, adding that such an attack “should never occur in any country.” Japan takes the attack “extremely seriously” and will renew its request to Beijing to do more to ensure safety of the Japanese citizens, she added.

Kamikawa said she had also advised Japanese schools in China to review their safety measures, and requested Beijing to provide details of the killing and do its utmost to prevent similar attacks on Japanese citizens.

Lin on Thursday expressed condolences and sadness over the boy’s death. “Our hearts go out to his family,” he said, adding that China will provide necessary assistance. He identified the boy as a Japanese citizen with parents from Japan and China.

Following an earlier knife attack at a bus stop for a Japanese school, the ministry has urged Japanese school operators in China to review their safety measures, said Masashi Mizobuchi, the ministry’s assistant press secretary, and officials will discuss how they can better secure the safety of Japanese students.

On June 24th, a knife attack at a school bus stop for a Japanese school in the southeastern city of Suzhou killed a Chinese national who was trying to stop the attacker and injured a Japanese mother and her child.

Lin denied any link between the two incidents, saying “similar cases may happen in any country” and denied the attacks will harm China’s relations with Japan.

“China and Japan are in communication on the case. We always welcome people from all countries, including Japan, to come to China for traveling, studying, business or living,” Lin said, pledging to take effective measures to protect their safety while in China.

“We believe individual cases will not affect the exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan,” he said.

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While the news of the Japanese boy’s death was not reported on by Chinese media Thursday, people posted condolences on the social media platform Weibo and condemned the attack.

In an email sent to Japanese citizens living in China, the Japanese Embassy warned residents to be vigilant and take precautions, citing knife attacks in recent months. The Japanese Consulate in Guangzhou, which is responsible for Shenzhen, called for measures to prevent such incidents.

Earlier in June, a Chinese man stabbed four U.S. university instructors at a public park in Jilin in the northeast and a Chinese person who tried to intervene. The four instructors from Cornell College were teaching at Beihua University. Their injuries were not critical.