 "Japan seeks ‘explanation’ from China after schoolboy’s death, Beijing expresses ‘sadness’ over stabbing")
Moments after officials in Tokyo said that a 10-year-old Japanese student, who was stabbed outside a Japanese school in southern China on Wednesday, has succumbed to his injuries, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday demanded an explanation from Beijing about the incident which has inflamed tensions between the neighbouring countries.
“For now, we will strongly urge China to provide an explanation about the facts of what happened. Since it’s been more than a day since the incident happened, we expect them to offer an explanation as soon as possible,” AFP quoted PM Kishida as saying, calling the attack “extremely despicable”.
China, meanwhile, expressed “regret and sadness” over the incident and said that an investigation had been launched.
“China expresses its regret and sadness that this kind of unfortunate incident occurred,” AFP quoted foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian as saying at a regular press conference.
“We mourn the passing of the boy and express our condolences to his family,” added Lin.
Lin said that the boy was a Japanese national whose parents are Japanese and Chinese citizens.
“After the attack, the boy was immediately rushed to hospital, and Guangdong authorities organised for some specialists to go all out to rescue him,” he said.
“China will provide all necessary assistance to his parents in (handling) the aftermath (of his death),” Lin added.
The Japanese schoolboy was stabbed in the southern city of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Wednesday morning, police said.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“The suspect, a 44-year-old man, was seized,” The Associated Press quoted the police as saying.
Expressing condolences to the boy’s family, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said it was “extremely regrettable” the student died despite requests for caution and enhanced safety around the time of the anniversary of the start of Japan’s invasion of China in the 1930s.
Kamikawa said she also instructed Japanese schools in China to review their safety measures, and requested China to provide details of the attack and do its utmost to prevent a recurrence of similar attacks on the Japanese.
In an email to Japanese citizens in China, the Japanese Embassy had urged residents to remain vigilant and take precautions due to recent knife attacks. The Japanese Consulate in Guangzhou, which oversees Shenzhen, also called for preventive measures.
This was not the first case of knife attack that targeted Japanese citizens and outsiders.
On June 24, a knife attack at a school bus stop for a Japanese school in Suzhou resulted in the death of a Chinese national who tried to stop the attacker, and injuries to a Japanese mother and her child.
Earlier that month, a Chinese man stabbed four US university instructors in Jilin while also injuring a Chinese bystander. The instructors, from Cornell College, were teaching at Beihua University, and their injuries were not life-threatening.
With inputs from agencies
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