Japan's foreign minister calls on China to guarantee safety of Japanese citizens after knife attack on schoolboy

(MENAFN) Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has called on China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens following the tragic stabbing attack on a Japanese schoolboy. Kamikawa specifically asked her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to thoroughly investigate the incident and provide Japan with a clear report on the circumstances. She called for the suspect involved to be held accountable and for preventive measures to be taken to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens, especially children, in China. This appeal was made during their meeting in New York on Monday, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

The stabbing attack occurred on September 18, when a 10-year-old boy was attacked near the entrance of the Shenzhen Japanese School. The attacker, a 44-year-old man, was arrested at the scene, but the motive for the attack remains unclear. Kamikawa stressed that this incident occurred despite Japan's previous calls for China to strengthen security measures for Japanese citizens and schools, especially around the anniversary of the Mukden Incident, which marks the start of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931.

In addition to the stabbing, Kamikawa also expressed her concerns about what she considered “groundless, malicious and anti-Japanese” social media posts that threaten the safety of children. She demanded that China take immediate action to combat these harmful narratives, as they have a direct impact on the well-being of children and are completely unacceptable. In her response, Wang called the stabbing a “random isolated incident” and assured that China will handle the situation according to its legal system. Both ministers agreed to continue working together to accelerate progress on these urgent issues.

Amid growing security concerns among the Japanese business community in China, Vice Foreign Minister Yoshifumi Tsuge visited Beijing to convey similar fears. He met with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong and later with representatives of the Japanese business community to discuss security measures for doing business in China. Tsuge announced that Japan is allocating 43 million yen (about $300,000) to improve security around Japanese schools and their bus stops during rush hours. He also hinted at plans to request additional funds to deploy security guards on Japanese school buses. Tetsuro Honma, head of Panasonic Holdings Corp.'s Chinese subsidiary and president of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, expressed concern over the recent stabbings and stressed the importance for Japanese companies in the region to ensure the safety of their employees and their families.

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