A Japanese woman was attacked with a stone-like object in a Suzhou subway station in eastern China on Thursday evening, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai. The assault, which occurred while the woman was walking with her child, marks the third violent incident targeting Japanese nationals in China since last year, fueling concerns over rising xenophobic sentiment in both China and Japan. Hours earlier, two Chinese men were seriously injured in separate attacks in Tokyo, further escalating diplomatic tensions.
The Japanese woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was struck after she and her child disembarked from a subway train, reportedly en route to a restroom, according to sources familiar with the incident. Her child was unharmed, and she was treated at a hospital before returning home, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. Chinese authorities detained a suspect, though Suzhou police have not released an official statement, and calls to the department went unanswered Friday evening, per Kyodo News.
In Tokyo, the Chinese Embassy reported that two Chinese men were seriously injured in attacks by four unidentified assailants wielding unspecified weapons, who remain at large. The embassy condemned the violence, urging Japanese authorities to apprehend the perpetrators and protect Chinese citizens, citing a “recent surge in xenophobic sentiment in Japanese society.”
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These incidents follow a troubling pattern. In September 2024, a 10-year-old Japanese student was fatally stabbed near the Shenzhen Japanese School, with the attacker sentenced to death. In June 2024, another Japanese woman and her child were injured in a knife attack in Suzhou, where a Chinese bus attendant died protecting them; that assailant also received a death sentence. Chinese authorities have maintained these were isolated incidents, but the recurrence has alarmed Japan’s expatriate community.
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China issued a statement Friday, calling the latest attack “extremely regrettable” and urging Chinese authorities to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens. “Ensuring the safety of employees and their families is fundamental for doing business in China,” it said. Meanwhile, Japan’s embassy in Beijing called for severe punishment of the Suzhou suspect and heightened security measures.
Historical animosities, particularly over Japan’s occupation of China during World War II, continue to strain relations. The upcoming 80th anniversary of China’s victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, marked by a planned military parade in Beijing on September 3, has heightened anti-Japan sentiment, exacerbated by a recent Chinese film about the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, viewed by over 28 million people in a week.
In Suzhou, parents of children at Japanese schools expressed fear. “I will avoid going out with my child,” one mother told Kyodo News. China’s Foreign Ministry pledged to protect foreigners, but reports of the attack were censored on WeChat, signaling sensitivity around the issue.
As both nations grapple with these violent incidents, calls for de-escalation and mutual protection of citizens grow louder, with fears that unchecked xenophobia could further damage Sino-Japanese relations.
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