A Japanese woman residing in China recently fell victim to an assault by a man at a Suzhou subway station, sustaining injuries. This attack came on the heels of two Chinese men being seriously injured in a violent incident in Tokyo, prompting concerns over xenophobic sentiments prevailing in both nations and being linked to similar assaults in the past year.
This unfortunate incident in Suzhou marked the third attack on Japanese citizens living in China in recent times, despite Chinese authorities dismissing the previous two occurrences as isolated. The woman, who remains unnamed, was with her child at the subway station when the assault occurred. While the child was unharmed, the mother sought medical attention and then returned home.
Calls to the Suzhou Police seeking further details went unanswered, with no official statement yet released. However, Japanese news reports confirm that the alleged perpetrator has been apprehended.
Across the East China Sea, in Tokyo, two Chinese men became victims of serious assaults, with the perpetrators—who were armed—still at large. The Chinese Embassy in Japan expressed concerns about the safety and legal rights of Chinese citizens in Japan amid a rise in xenophobic sentiments within Japanese society.
In a tragic incident last year, a young Japanese student lost his life after being fatally stabbed by a Chinese man near the Shenzhen Japanese School in southern China. The assailant was subsequently sentenced to death. Additionally, a similar attack occurred earlier in Suzhou, resulting in injuries to a Japanese woman and her child, as well as the tragic death of a Chinese bus attendant who intervened. The perpetrator in this case was also sentenced to capital punishment.
Addressing the recurring violence, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China emphasized the necessity of safeguarding Japanese nationals and their families residing in China for business reasons. They stressed the pivotal role of ensuring their safety, considering the regrettable nature of these incidents.
