• Source: 2024 Shenzhen stabbing

On 18 September 2024, a Chinese man stabbed a ten-year-old Japanese schoolboy with a knife near the Shenzhen Japanese School in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. The alleged attacker, a 44-year-old man surnamed Zhong, was arrested, while the boy died of injuries on the next day. Violence targeting foreigners in China had been occurring previously in 2024, prompting some observers to express concern that nationalist sentiment may have contributed to these incidents.




Background



There are many Japanese companies in Shenzhen, a center of high technology in China. In 2008, the Shenzhen Japanese School was opened for elementary and junior high school students. According to The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese parents and children often walk to school together as many of them live nearby.
Two attacks against foreigners had happened in China in June 2024. A man stabbed four American teachers in Jilin City. In a separate incident, another man attacked a Japanese mother and her son in Suzhou, resulting in the death of a Chinese woman who tried to stop him. After the Suzhou attack, Chinese internet companies vowed to curb extremist content on the Chinese internet.
18 September is the anniversary of the Mukden incident, a 1931 false-flag operation and pretext for Japan's invasion of the Manchurian region of China.




Attack


About 8 am on 18 September 2024, a man stabbed a Japanese boy in the abdomen on his way to the Shenzhen Japanese School. The attack happened on a street 200 metres (660 ft) away from the school. A 44-year-old male suspect surnamed Zhong (钟) was arrested at the scene. According to China's foreign ministry, the boy was a Japanese national with a Japanese father and a Chinese mother. The police stated that the boy was surnamed Shen (沈). Kyodo News reported that the boy was with his mother at the time of the attack. The boy was taken to the Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital (深圳市前海蛇口自贸区医院) with severe injuries and died on the early morning of 19 September.




Aftermath


On 19 September, Shenzhen residents placed flowers at the school and paid respects to the deceased. A group of Chinese in Japan also held a vigil to mourn the boy. The Chinese foreign ministry expressed sorrow and offered its condolences to the boy's family.
The suspect Zhong was detained by the Shenzhen Police. Officials determined that the attack was a sporadic incident and was committed by a single person. According to a statement from the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau on September 20, Zhong is a 44-year-old male with no fixed occupation. He had been questioned by the police in 2015 for allegedly damaging public property and detained in 2019 for disturbing the peace.
On the day that the attack occurred, Masataka Okano, Vice Foreign Minister of Japan, summoned Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao. Kenji Kanasugi, Japanese Ambassador to China, called on the Chinese administration to protect Japanese residents. Lin Jian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pledged to continue to "take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreigners".
A day after the attack, the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida condemned the crime and "strongly demand[ed]" an explanation from the Chinese side. The Chinese spokesperson Lin Jian said that the Chinese side would provide "necessary assistance" to the boy's family, but also called the incident "an individual case" that could happen "in any country". On 22 September, Japan's state minister for foreign affairs Yoshifumi Tsuge traveled to Beijing for three days in relation to the death.
According to CNN, certain extreme Chinese nationalists alleged that Japan staged the attack, and some questioned the existence of Japanese schools in China. As the incident gained attention on the Chinese internet, censors removed articles referencing Japanese media sources, which provided more details than the brief statements from China's foreign ministry and the Shenzhen police.
After the attack, two law professors in Beijing wrote a WeChat post that asked people to avoid committing violent acts in the name of patriotism. Many readers reposted it, but it was eventually removed.
On 24 September, a letter supposedly written by the boy's father was published online before it was reportedly taken down. It said that he does not hate China nor Japan over what happened and he wants to prevent a similar tragedy.
On 25 September, Kenichi Okada, consul general of Japan in Hong Kong, said that security for all Japanese schools in Hong Kong had been increased as a precaution.




Impact


The stabbing sparked worry among Japanese communities in China. In response, some Japanese schools in China have contacted parents, advising them to exercise heightened caution. Major Japanese firms operating in China also warned their workers to be vigilant.
After the attack, other Japanese schools in China stepped up precautions. The Shenzhen Japanese School was closed for a week, the Shanghai Japanese School allowed students to stay home. The Japanese School of Guangzhou and the Japanese School of Beijing stopped extracurricular activities on 18 September, and reminded students and parents to reduce unnecessary outings and not to speak Japanese loudly outside. The Japanese Embassy in China sent a safety notice to all Japanese in China. China also advised its nationals in Japan to take precautions.
According to the BBC, electronics giant Panasonic would allow employees and their families to temporarily return to Japan at company expense, saying they would "prioritise the safety and health of employees". Similarly, Toyota has pledged to keep its Japanese expatriate staff informed and supported on the situation.
In Tokyo, a candelight vigil was organized of 19 September. A group of activists began a campaign to memorialize the boy. In response to the incident, there had been groups of Chinese people who criticized currents of ultra-nationalism and anti-foreigner attitudes.




See also


2024 Suzhou knife attack




References

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• 2024 Shenzhen stabbing
• 2024 Shanghai supermarket stabbings
• 2024 Suzhou knife attack
• 2024 Beijing knife attack
• Zhang Xianzhong
• Shenzhen Japanese School
• 2024 in China
• List of vehicle-ramming attacks
• Anti-Japanese sentiment in China
• List of nightclub fires