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. Zhong was later sentenced to death.
The city of Shenzhen, as a center of high technology in China, is home to many Japanese companies. 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.[1]
Prior to the stabbing, two other attacks by locals against foreigners had happened across China in June 2024. In one incident, a man stabbed four American teachers[zh] 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.[2] After the Suzhou attack, Chinese internet companies vowed to curb extremist content on the Chinese internet.[1]
At about 8 am on 18 September 2024,[4] a Chinese man stabbed a Japanese boy in the abdomen on his way to the Shenzhen Japanese School.[5] The attack happened on a street 200 metres (660ft) away from the school.[3] According to China's foreign ministry, the boy was a Japanese national with a Japanese father and a Chinese mother.[2][6] The police stated that the boy was surnamed Shen (沈).[7][8]Kyodo News reported that the boy was with his mother at the time of the attack.[3] The boy was taken to the Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital[zh][9] (深圳市前海蛇口自贸区医院)[10] with severe injuries[3] and died on the early morning of 19 September.[1]
Suspect
Following the stabbing, Shenzhen police arrested at the scene a 44-year-old male suspect,[2] named Zhong Changchun (钟长春[11]), from Jiangxi.[12] According to reports, Zhong has no fixed occupation and had previously been questioned by the police in 2015 for allegedly damaging public property. He had also been detained in 2019 for disturbing public order. Officials determined that the attack was a sporadic incident and committed by a single person.[13]
On 24 January 2025, Zhong, who had turned 45, was sentenced to death for the killing.[14][12]
Reactions
Chinese and Japanese governments
The day of the attack, Masataka Okano, vice foreign minister of Japan, summoned Chinese ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao.[3]Kenji Kanasugi, Japanese ambassador to China, called on the Chinese administration to protect Japanese residents.[3]Lin Jian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pledged to continue to "take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreigners".[3] The foreign ministry expressed sorrow and offered its condolences to the boy's family.[5] Compared to Japanese media outlets, Chinese sources offered few details in their statements.[6]
A day after the attack, the Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida condemned the crime and "strongly demand[ed]" an explanation from the Chinese government.[6] Chinese spokesperson Lin Jian said that the Chinese government would provide "necessary assistance" to the boy's family, but also called the incident "an individual case" that could happen "in any country".[15] On 22 September, Japan's state minister for foreign affairs Yoshifumi Tsuge traveled to Beijing for three days in relation to the death.[16]
Public
The day following the attack, Shenzhen residents placed flowers at the school and paid respects to the deceased.[5] In Tokyo, a candlelight vigil was held by a group of Chinese people residing in Japan.[17]
Some Chinese netizens criticized the anti-Japanese education in China, while nationalist voices alleged that the attack was staged or called for the Japanese schools to be closed.[6] Social media companies and censors subsequently removed many posts for inciting "China-Japan antagonism".[6] On the WeChat app, two law professors in Beijing asked people to avoid committing violent acts in the name of patriotism. It was reposted by many readers but eventually removed.[18]
A letter supposedly written by the boy's father was published online on 24 September, before being reportedly taken down. The letter said that he does not hate China nor Japan over what happened and he wants to prevent similar tragedies in the future.[19][20]
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.[citation needed] Major Japanese firms operating in China also warned their workers to be vigilant.[citation needed]
After the attack, the Shenzhen Japanese School was closed for a week and other Japanese schools in China stepped up precautions. The Shanghai Japanese School allowed students to stay home.[21] 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.[22][23] Japanese schools in Hong Kong also increased their security measures as a precaution.[24] The Japanese Embassy in China sent a safety notice to all Japanese in China.[25] China also advised its nationals in Japan to take precautions.[26]
According to the BBC, electronics giant Panasonic allowed employees and their families to temporarily return to Japan at company expense, saying they would "prioritise the safety and health of employees". Similarly, Toyota pledged to keep its Japanese expatriate staff informed and supported on the situation.[27]
1 2 3 "中国 日本人学校の男子児童死亡 駐在員の一時帰国認める企業も"[Chinese boy dies at Japanese school; some companies allow expatriates to return home temporarily]. NHK (in Japanese). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
↑ 深圳特区报 (20 September 2024). "深圳日本人学校被刺学生不幸去世，警方通报称嫌犯为单人作案已依法刑拘"[Student who was stabbed at a Japanese school in Shenzhen dies. Police reports that the suspect has been detained.]. 新浪财经 (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
↑ 「本当に衝撃」中国・深センで刺された日本人学校の男児(10)が死亡 日本領事館は捜査状況など情報共有を求める["A real shock" A 10-year-old boy from a Japanese school was stabbed to death in Shenzhen, China. The Japanese Consulate has requested information sharing on the status of the investigation.]. TBS NEWS DIG (in Japanese). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
↑ "深圳日童遇袭︱日政府将讨论确保安全措施 校方：公众地方勿大声说日语"[Japanese children were attacked in Shenzhen︱Japanese government will discuss measures to ensure safety. School administrators: Do not speak Japanese loudly in public places]. std.stheadline.com (in Chinese). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
↑ "中国 広東省 日本人学校に通う男子児童1人が男に襲われけが"[Boy attending Japanese school in Guangdong Province, China was attacked and injured by a man]. NHK (in Japanese). 18 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
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