A 10-year-old Japanese student was stabbed on his way to a Japanese school in China, resulting in his death. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the crime despicable and demanded that Beijing provide all the facts surrounding the incident. The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed condolences and stated that measures would be taken to ensure the safety of foreigners in China.
The stabbing occurred on the anniversary of the 1931 Mukden incident, adding to the sensitivity of the case. This incident follows another stabbing at a bus stop for a Japanese school in Suzhou in June, where a Chinese national was killed while trying to stop the attacker. Japanese officials have asked for heightened safety measures at Japanese schools in China.
China and Japan have a complex history, with Chinese public sentiment occasionally turning anti-Japanese due to past military occupations. Tensions have also been rising due to Chinese military activities in the Asia-Pacific region. While gun violence is rare in China, stabbing attacks have occurred in the past. Despite the nationalist rhetoric often seen on Chinese social media, there has been an outpouring of sympathy for the student online, calling for a world without extremism and promoting China-Japan friendship.
The incident has heightened concerns about the safety of Japanese nationals in China and the need for stronger security measures in the country. The Japanese government has urged caution and for the Chinese authorities to take all necessary steps to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
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