Japanese Foreign Minister meets with Chinese counterpart over fatal knife attack on boy

TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said on Monday (September 23) she would meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a visit to New York to discuss the fatal knife attack on a student.

Following the attack last week in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida demanded an explanation and urged China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens.

“The recent incident in Shenzhen, in which a child was attacked and killed at a Japanese school, was very tragic,” Kamikawa told reporters at Tokyo airport before his trip.

“We will … urge China to clearly state the facts and ensure the safety of the Japanese people, especially children,” she said, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

She said Japan would spend 43 million yen ($300,000) to immediately increase security at Japanese schools in China.

Kamikawa will travel to New York for three days starting Monday to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Meanwhile, Japan's deputy foreign minister discussed the stabbing with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Monday.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said both sides “reiterated the need to work together to properly and calmly handle this regrettable incident.”

They “agreed to stay in touch to avoid isolated and individual cases having an impact on bilateral relations,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular press conference.

Last week, Beijing expressed its “regret and sadness” over the incident, which it said was an isolated case and “could happen in any country.”