China faces calls for transparency after latest stabbing attack sparks safety fears

Series of recent assaults on foreigners could harm country’s image and further set back Beijing’s attempts to lure more people to visit, observers say

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A woman lays flowers outside a school in Shenzhen attended by a Japanese boy who died after being stabbed on his way to the school on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Alyssa Chen

Published: 10:00pm, 20 Sep 2024Updated: 10:44pm, 20 Sep 2024

A string of recent stabbing attacks on foreigners in China could fuel worries about personal safety in the country’s expatriate community, according to diplomatic observers, who say that more transparency from authorities will be crucial to ease fears and restore confidence in the country.

The latest violence – in which a 10-year-old Japanese boy died on Thursday morning a day after he was stabbed in the southern city of Shenzhen – has renewed calls for Beijing to be more transparent in how it addresses such incidents.

Local authorities had said the attacker was a man with a previous criminal record, but have not disclosed a motive. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning did not comment on a motive on Friday, citing the ongoing investigation.

In a phone call on Thursday, Chinese foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong told Japan’s ambassador to China, Kenji Kanasugi, that the killing was an “isolated case carried out by an individual with a criminal record”, according to the Japanese embassy.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian also described the incident as “isolated” and stressed that such attacks could happen anywhere in the world.

“China has always taken, and will continue to take effective measures to ensure the safety of all foreign nationals in China,” Lin said, adding that he did not foresee the latest incident affecting relations between China and Japan.