China faces calls for transparency after recent knife attack that sparked security concerns

A 44-year-old suspect surnamed Zhong confessed to attacking the boy, according to a report in the Southern Metropolis Daily and Shenzhen Special Zone Daily newspapers, citing a police source.

Diplomatic observers warned that an outbreak of violence against foreigners combined with Beijing's opaque approach could increase insecurity and undermine China's attempts to lure back foreign visitors. Authorities should release more details of the incidents to allay public concerns, they said.

Last year, China introduced a visa-free entry policy for several countries and recently expanded it to visa-free transit. Travelers from certain countries are now allowed to stay in certain areas for up to 144 hours.

Despite China's various measures to attract foreign investment and tourists, the recent attacks could “significantly undermine” those efforts, says Zheng Zhihua, associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Police statements on such incidents tend to “downplay” the involvement of foreigners in the knife attacks, Zheng added, pointing out that the youngest victim was identified only as a minor with the surname Shen.

“It appears to be a conscious attempt to prevent any impression of hostility or violence towards foreigners in Chinese society.”

The attack came on a significant date in China – the anniversary of the “Incident of 1918” in 1931 – also known as the Manchurian Incident or Mukden Incident – ​​which led to the Japanese invasion of the region and has become a symbol of national shame.

In the run-up to the anniversary, Japan had called on the Chinese authorities to strengthen security measures at Japanese schools. It is unclear whether this actually happened at the school in Shenzhen before the sensitive date.

“Given this situation, we are deeply disappointed that this incident nevertheless occurred,” said Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.

Chong Ja Ian, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, warned that more such attacks could foster the impression that foreigners are unwelcome in China, potentially leading to a decline in people-to-people exchanges.

He added that the stabbings could reinforce the impression that China is not a welcoming place for foreigners.

“Foreigners and foreign companies may stay away as a result. This could also accelerate the exodus of companies from China,” he added.

“If this trend intensifies and continues, people-to-people exchanges in China could decline. There may well be a perception that people-to-people contacts in the country could be more dangerous than beneficial,” Chong said.