A 10-year-old Japanese schoolboy was stabbed to death last week in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. Although Beijing called it “an isolated incident that could happen in any country,” the tragedy is widely viewed as a cautionary tale of the consequences of the rise of ultranationalism and xenophobia in China, which has worsened as its economy deteriorates.
The suspect is a 44-year-old unemployed Chinese man. The stabbing occurred on Sept. 18 — the sensitive anniversary of the “918” incident of 1931, which is commemorated in China as the start of the Japanese invasion of northeast Manchuria. Chinese officials and state media have long exhorted the public to never forget this “national humiliation.”
Following an unprecedented incursion into Japanese airspace by a Chinese People’s Liberation Army reconnaissance aircraft late last month, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and two destroyers on Sept. 18 sailed into Japanese territory, taking a new route between two islands, Yonaguni and Iriomote. The move was widely praised in China, with people saying that the Chinese navy had its best revenge, “with a Chinese aircraft carrier for the first time navigating in Japan’s contiguous zone.”
The stabbing in Shenzhen was the third high-profile attack on foreigners in China in recent months. In June, a Japanese mother and child were injured in a knife attack in Suzhou. Four US college instructors teaching in China’s Jilin Province were also stabbed on June 10.
Although Chinese authorities have asserted that these attacks were “isolated incidents,” without providing investigation details, some China experts have said that this series of violence could be a reflection of historical anti-Japanese sentiment perpetuated by the Chinese education and propaganda systems. Some Chinese have even warned that “xenophobia and extreme nationalism are rampant online,” and have expressed concern that exclusionism could escalate along with rising unemployment and a declining economy. Beijing has upped the ante by implementing a slew of national security laws targeting foreign forces and foreigners, including Taiwanese who could be arbitrarily accused of being spies or “die-hard separatists.”
Not only have the attacks sparked worry and insecurity among Japanese and other expats in China, they have also cast a pall over relations between China and neighboring countries, which have been strained due to historical resentment, wolf-warrior diplomacy and intensified territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific region, such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has demanded an explanation for last week’s attack and urged China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens. Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa called on Beijing to act against “groundless and malicious anti-Japanese social media posts.”
While Beijing has been trying to court international investment to contend with its slowing economy and lagging investor and business confidence, the number of Japanese companies in China dropped to about 31,000 last year, down by one-10th from 2020, Japanese official statistics show. Some top Japanese companies in China have warned their workers to be vigilant and offered free flights to send their staff and families home following the incidents.
Those incidents should serve as a warning to Taiwan, especially as a growing number of Taiwanese have been detained in China. From January to May, there were also roughly 84 cases of Taiwanese visiting China being threatened, and more Taiwanese companies and celebrities being targeted by Chinese officials and Internet users for not openly declaring their support for Beijing’s “one China principle.”
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