The killing of a boy in China sparks fear in Japan

The killing of a Japanese schoolboy in the city of Shenzhen, China, has caused concern among expats living in China, with top companies warning their employees to be vigilant.

Toshiba and Toyota told their workers to take precautions against any possible violence, while Panasonic offered its workers free flights home.

Japanese authorities have reiterated their condemnation of the killings while urging the Chinese government to ensure the safety of its citizens.

I the stabbing of a 10-year-old boy Wednesday was the third attack on foreigners in China in recent months.

In a statement sent to the BBC, electronics giant Panasonic said it would “prioritize the safety and health of workers” in China after the latest attack.

Panasonic allows employees and their families to return to Japan temporarily at the company’s expense, and provides a counseling service.

Toshiba, which has around 100 employees in China, urged its employees to “take care of their safety”.

The world’s largest car manufacturer, Toyota, told the BBC that it was “supporting Japanese people from other countries” by providing them with any information they may need about the situation.

The Japanese embassy in Beijing also urged the Chinese government to “do everything possible” to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the attack “very serious” and said Tokyo had “strongly urged” Beijing to explain “immediately”.

Some Japanese schools in China contacted parents, putting them on the spot after the stabbing.

The Guangzhou Japanese School has canceled some activities and warned against speaking Japanese out loud in public.

Some members of the Japanese expatriate community in China told the BBC they were worried about the safety of their children.

The man, a 53-year-old businessman who has lived in Shenzhen for nearly ten years, said he will send his daughter overseas to university earlier than usual.

“We have always considered Shenzhen as a safe place to live as it is open to foreigners, but now we are very careful about our safety,” he said.

“Many people in Japan are very worried, and many relatives and friends have tried to look after my safety.”

Chinese officials in Shenzhen said they were “deeply saddened” by the incident and had begun installing security cameras around the school on Thursday morning.

“We will continue to take effective measures to protect the life, property, safety and legal rights of everyone in Shenzhen, including foreigners,” they were quoted as saying in the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily on Friday.

An editorial in a state-run newspaper lashed out at the alleged killer, saying “this violent behavior does not represent the standard of ordinary Chinese people”.

On Friday, locals began placing flowers at the gate of a Japanese school in Shenzhen.

“It’s really painful. It shouldn’t be like that,” said a local from Shenzhen to Singapore’s The Straits Times.

Another, a retired teacher, said: “This child, no matter what country he comes from, is the hope of the family and the nation.

As Shenzhen evaded execution, more details emerged from various news reports and official sources.

The incident happened around 08:00 local time (00:00 GMT) on Wednesday outside the boy’s school, Shenzhen Japanese School.

The boy – identified by Chinese police only as Shen – was stabbed in the stomach. He later succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Thursday.

The attacker, 44, surnamed Zhong, was arrested on the spot.

He had a criminal record, having been arrested for “damaging public infrastructure” in 2015 and “disturbing public order” in 2019, according to state-controlled media in Shenzhen.

An eyewitness said the suspect did not try to hide his face when he committed the incident.

“He didn’t run away, but he just stood there and was caught by the local police who were guarding the school,” the witness told Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

Chinese authorities have not revealed the exact cause, but have repeatedly called the stabbing an “unique incident”, as they have done in two previous incidents this year.

In June, a man targeted a Japanese mother and her child in the eastern city of Suzhou. That attack was near a Japanese school as well it led to the death of a Chinese man who had tried to protect mother and son.

It has prompted the Japanese government to ask for an estimated $2.5m (£1.9m) to hire school bus guards in China.

In early June, four American teachers were stabbed in the northern city of Jilin.

All eyes are now on Chinese officials and how they will reassure Japanese communities that they are safe in China, while ensuring that this does not turn into a major diplomatic crisis.

Relations between the two countries have long been strained. For decades, the two sides have clashed over many issues, from historical grievances to territorial disputes.

Some have pointed out that the stabbing happened on the anniversary of the infamous Mukden Incident, when Japan staged an explosion to justify its invasion of Manchuria in 1931, which started a 14-year war with China.

A former Japanese ambassador said Wednesday’s attack in Shenzhen was “the result of years of anti-Japanese education” in Chinese schools.

Although diplomatic ties are often weak, economic cooperation has always had a common presence, according to Japanese politicians who spoke to the BBC.

But the fact that the attack took place in the cosmopolitan tech hub of Shenzhen could make both sides nervous.

Top Japanese firms in China are warning their workers may raise questions about their presence there and what that could mean for economic relations between Tokyo and Beijing.

Additional reporting by Chika Nakayama in Tokyo and Kelly Ng in Singapore.