Safety personnel preserve watch outdoors Shenzhen Japanese Faculty, following the dying of a 10-year-old youngster after being stabbed by an assailant on the best way to the college, in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China on September 19, 2024.
| Picture Credit score: Reuters

A ten-year-old Japanese scholar who was stabbed close to his faculty in southern China has died, officers in Tokyo mentioned Thursday, asking Beijing to offer particulars of the stabbing and take preventive measures. A suspect is in custody.

Japanese International Minister Yoko Kamikawa expressed condolences and famous that the assault occurred regardless of Tokyo’s requests for warning and enhanced security as China marks a key anniversary of its battle with Japan.

The coed was stabbed on Wednesday about 200 meters (220 yards) from the gate of the Shenzhen Japanese Faculty, Chinese language Ministry of International Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian mentioned in a each day briefing. Lin mentioned the attacker was arrested on the spot and the case was nonetheless below investigation.

In a press release launched Wednesday, Shenzhen police mentioned a 44-year-old man with the surname Zhong had been taken into custody in reference to a knifing on a minor.

No motive for the assault was instantly clear.

Kamikawa famous that Japan had requested China’s Ministry of International Affairs for elevated safety round Japanese faculties forward of the Sept. 18 anniversary of the Mukden Incident in 1931, which China marks as the start of Japanese invasion of Manchuria, now northeast China.

An explosion on a Japanese railway within the northern metropolis of Shenyang attributable to Japanese troopers however blamed on the Chinese language was used as a pretext for the invasion.

“I discover it extraordinarily regrettable that the assault occurred regardless of that,” Kamikawa mentioned, including that such an assault “ought to by no means happen in any nation.” Japan takes the assault “extraordinarily severely” and can renew its request to Beijing to do extra to make sure security of the Japanese residents, she added.

Kamikawa mentioned she had additionally suggested Japanese faculties in China to evaluation their security measures, and requested Beijing to offer particulars of the killing and do its utmost to stop related assaults on Japanese residents.

Lin on Thursday expressed condolences and disappointment over the boy’s dying. “Our hearts exit to his household,” he mentioned, including that China will present obligatory help. He recognized the boy as a Japanese citizen with dad and mom from Japan and China.

Following an earlier knife assault at a bus cease for a Japanese faculty, the ministry has urged Japanese faculty operators in China to evaluation their security measures, mentioned Masashi Mizobuchi, the ministry’s assistant press secretary, and officers will focus on how they will higher safe the protection of Japanese college students.

On June twenty fourth, a knife assault at a college bus cease for a Japanese faculty within the southeastern metropolis of Suzhou killed a Chinese language nationwide who was making an attempt to cease the attacker and injured a Japanese mom and her youngster.

Lin denied any hyperlink between the 2 incidents, saying “related circumstances could occur in any nation” and denied the assaults will hurt China’s relations with Japan.

“China and Japan are in communication on the case. We all the time welcome folks from all nations, together with Japan, to return to China for touring, finding out, enterprise or dwelling,” Lin mentioned, pledging to take efficient measures to guard their security whereas in China.

“We consider particular person circumstances won’t have an effect on the exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan,” he mentioned.

Whereas the information of the Japanese boy’s dying was not on reported in Chinese language media Thursday, folks posted condolences on the social media platform Weibo and condemned the assault.

In an e-mail despatched to Japanese residents dwelling in China, the Japanese Embassy warned residents to be vigilant and take precautions, citing knife assaults in current months. The Japanese Consulate in Guangzhou, which is chargeable for Shenzhen, known as for measures to stop such incidents.

Earlier in June, a Chinese language man stabbed 4 U.S. college instructors at a public park in Jilin within the northeast and a Chinese language one that tried to intervene. The 4 instructors from Cornell School had been instructing at Beihua College. Their accidents weren’t important.