NEW YORK, USA: China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, urged Japan to handle the recent fatal stabbing of a schoolboy in Shenzhen with “calm and rationality” during discussions with Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in New York. The stabbing incident, which involved a 10-year-old boy of mixed Japanese-Chinese heritage, has raised tensions between the two countries. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida demanded answers from Beijing, calling for increased safety measures for Japanese citizens in China.
Wang reassured Kamikawa that China is investigating the case and will handle it according to the law, while also pledging to ensure the safety of foreign nationals. He warned Japan not to politicize or escalate the incident.
The attack occurred on September 18, a day of historical significance in China due to the 1931 “Mukden Incident,” which Japan used as a pretext to invade Manchuria. It is unclear whether the stabbing was politically motivated, but Kamikawa urged China to address anti-Japanese sentiment online, particularly malicious posts related to Japanese schools.
Kamikawa also announced that Japan would increase security measures at its schools in China, allocating ¥43 million ($300,000). While relations between the two countries have deteriorated over territorial disputes and Japan’s security ties with the U.S., there was a positive step as Beijing began resuming seafood imports from Japan, signaling some diplomatic progress.
