Japanese Boy Dies after Being Stabbed in China
Shenzhen, China, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)--A student at a Japanese school in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, southern China, died in the early hours of Thursday after being stabbed near the school by a man on Wednesday morning, Yoshiko Kijima, Japanese consul-general in Guangzhou, said.
The 10-year-old boy had been receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Speaking to reporters in Shenzhen on Thursday morning, Kijima expressed her deep grief at the boy's death, saying: "I'm at a loss for words, especially when I think about what his family must be going through. I would like to offer my sincerest condolences."
She said that the boy was stabbed in his stomach, but refrained from going into further detail.
Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi visited Shenzhen and met with the bereaved family and a deputy mayor of the Chinese city.
Kanasugi also held phone talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and said that the Japanese government takes the death of the boy very seriously and that the incident is extremely regrettable.
The ambassador strongly urged China to take preventive measures, while demanding it provide detailed information, including the background of the latest incident, ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and strengthen security at Japanese schools.
Expressing deep regret, Weidong said that the latest incident was an individual case committed by a person with a criminal record.
At a press conference Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian expressed regret and condolences for the boy's death and said that China will take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreigners in China.
He also said that the boy possessed Japanese citizenship and that his father is Japanese and his mother is Chinese.
The boy was on his way to school when he was stabbed by the 44-year-old man around 200 meters from the school gate, according to local police and the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The man was taken into custody by local authorities.
The school will be closed this week, with the Japanese Consulate-General in Guangzhou, the capital of the province, considering working together with the school to offer parents and children necessary support. The Japanese Embassy in Beijing flew its flag at half-staff Thursday in mourning for the boy.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo Thursday, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said that the Japanese government takes the boy's death "extremely seriously."
"It's truly deplorable that such a despicable act was committed against a child on his way to school," the minister said. "I've instructed (related bodies) to consider additional measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again."
In June, a Japanese woman and her child who were waiting for a school bus of a Japanese school in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, eastern China, were injured after being attacked by a knife-wielding man. A Chinese woman who was a guide on the bus died in the attack.
Following this attack, the Japanese Foreign Ministry instructed Japanese schools in China to urgently re-examine their safety measures.
On Wednesday night, Kijima held a meeting with Cao Saixian, head of the Shenzhen foreign affairs office, to urge the Chinese side to provide the boy the best possible treatment and offer support for his family.
The Japanese consul-general also asked the Chinese side to uncover the motive behind the attack and provide the Japanese side with a detailed explanation, as well as implement preventive measures.
Cao replied that the Chinese side would provide treatment and handle the incident as best it could. On Japan's request of getting to the bottom of the attack, however, she only provided a short answer that she noted the request.
Wednesday marked the 93rd anniversary of the 1931 Mukden incident, which led to Japan's invasion of Manchuria, the current northeastern China. Sept. 18 is known in China as a "day of national humiliation," with anti-Japanese sentiment tending to rise in China around this time of year.
Whether the assailant intentionally targeted a Japanese national, however, is still unknown.
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