Photo/Illutration Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, left, meets with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, second from right, in New York on Sept. 23. (Provided by Foreign Ministry)

Japan demanded that China crack down on “unsubstantiated and malicious anti-Japanese social media posts” following the stabbing death of a 10-year-old boy as he made his way to a Japanese school in the southern city of Shenzhen.

Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who is visiting the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, called for immediate action regarding the posts, which she said are “directly related to children’s safety and absolutely unacceptable.” 

Kamikawa’s outburst came during a meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York on Sept. 23, according to sources.

She also called on China to clarify the facts of the incident, including the motive, provide a clear explanation to the Japanese side, and take specific measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals residing in China, according to the sources.

In response, Wang reportedly responded, “What happened this time is an accidental individual case that we, too, do not want to see, and we will handle it in accordance with the law.”

According to a statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang told Kamikawa the Japanese side should treat the incident in Shenzhen calmly and rationally, and avoid politicizing and escalating the incident.

He also stressed that the investigation into the incident will proceed in accordance with Chinese law and that China will continue to guarantee the safety of all foreigners in China as before, according to the statement.

OTHER ISSUES

Another issue concerned the recent easing of China’s embargo on Japanese marine products over the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Kamikawa said Japan “will implement additional early monitoring” of water quality to “ensure progress toward the full removal of restrictions,” based on shared understanding of the problem by Japan and China on Sept. 20, the sources said.

Another topic concerned a Chinese Y-9 intelligence-gathering aircraft that violated Japan’s territorial airspace off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture in August.

Kamikawa reiterated her call for the Chinese side to promptly provide a specific and clear explanation for the transgression, the sources said.

(This article was written by Shino Matsuyama, and correspondent Ryo Inoue.)

Related News