After a Japanese school boy was fatally stabbed in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen one week ago, China has advised its people who are visiting or currently residing in Japan to be cautious.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Japan asked people to "enhance awareness of safety precautions and ensure safe travel in light of the current situation" as the National Day holiday approached.
In order to avoid any potential disputes with Japanese citizens, the embassy also asked Chinese nationals to follow local customs in Japan and refrain from rallies or protests starting on Tuesday of next week, when China will begin its weeklong holiday.
The 10-year-old child, whose parents are Chinese and Japanese, was attacked last Wednesday while traveling to a Japanese school in Shenzhen. He succumbed to his wounds early the following morning. Shortly after the event, a male suspect was taken into custody close to the school.
Though the reason of the suspect remains unknown, there has been much conjecture that the stabbing was connected to the 93rd anniversary of a Japanese bombing of a train track close to Shenyang, which marked the beginning of the Manchurian Incident, which resulted in Japan's invasion of northeastern China.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the top government spokesman for Japan, stated on Wednesday that Tokyo has been pressing Beijing to guarantee the safety of Japanese nationals in China, especially children, and to take action against "baseless and malicious" anti-Japanese posts on social media. The facts surrounding the stabbing, including the suspect's motivation, must be explained in detail.
During a routine news conference in Tokyo, the top cabinet secretary declared, "We will strongly ask China to swiftly implement such measures."
When asked if it would be possible to revisit its warning for Japanese citizens visiting China, Hayashi stated that the government will consider a number of issues, including the state of local security, before making "an appropriate decision.".
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