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The reason for writing this article is because after a 10-year-old Japanese schoolboy was stabbed to death near his school in Shenzhen,China, I saw several posts forwarded by a university lecturer in an online group of international relations scholars. After reading them, I feel that the professor seems to argue that there are also many cases of Chinese people being killed in Japan, so the two sides are even, and there is no need to stir up such a big public opinion storm or even a political storm
In response, another professor has rebutted the argument: while other countries may also have xenophobic tendencies, it is not constructive to compare and excuse such behavior. "As long as one believes that our country (i.e. China) still needs to be open to the world, one cannot tolerate such crimes, nor justify them by pointing out that similar crimes in other countries. In short, engaging in this kind of negative comparison is beneath the dignity of a great nation striving for rejuvenation."
What a profound comment! It is indeed improper to engage in such comparisons, which I totally agree with. Those who constantly indulge in such comparisons should engage in deep self-reflection. However, I believe that we should not stop here. The cases mentioned in the post are highly misleading and should not be equated with the tragic incident involving a minor victim in Shenzhen; they are fundamentally different in nature and should not be conflated
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Why say so? Because the aforementioned incidents in Japan involving harm to Chinese individuals, some being robberies, some acts of revenge, and some crimes of passion, all have specific reasons behind them. It is fair to say that they are not related to anti-Chinese sentiments. In contrast, the recent incidents in China targeting Japanese and American nationals involve senseless killings, effectively constituting "indiscriminate murder cases," which could potentially be linked to xenophobic behavior. Therefore, it is not appropriate to generalize and say they are similarly "bad," as these cases have completely different natures.
Taking the events listed in the English post as an example, the first incident in 2023 involved a 33-year-old female victim. Two suspects are at large and have not been caught. The victim was reportedly a bar hostess who often quarreled with another Chinese female employee. The police are investigating, and it is highly probable that this was a retaliatory crime stemming from personal grievances. The second incident in 2024 involved a 53-year-old male victim who was robbed around 12:30 a.m. while walking with his wife on the street, sustaining a stab wound to his left hand. After a week of treatment, he recovered, and the authorities are currently searching for the criminals.
The third incident in 2024 had a significant impact in Japan and involved a Japanese man and a Chinese woman, a 55-year-old and 56-year-old married couple. The man operated a barbecue restaurant and izakaya in Ueno, Tokyo, with reports suggesting that their business practices were exploitative and they frequently quarreled with neighboring izakayas. Particularly, the Chinese wife often incited trouble with a group of delinquents, verbally abused the staff in Chinese, and engaged in legal disputes with neighbors. As a result, the couple was murdered by their 31-year-old daughter, her boyfriend, and four others, with all seven suspects being arrested and charged.
The fourth incident in 2024 involved a 17-year-old correspondence high school student whose body was found at Hamanako with signs of assault. The victim had informed their parents of going to a friend's house to play around 7 p.m. on February 4, but later went missing, leading the parents to report to the police. Investigations revealed that the victim was beaten and thrown into the lake to drown. A 21-year-old unemployed Japanese man and four minors were arrested, followed by the arrest of an 18-year-old Filipino man. Reports indicate the victim had a conflict with a group of delinquent youth at the friend's house. The 21-year-old Japanese man was charged, while the 18-year-old Filipino man was sent to family court for being under 20 years old.
In addition to the four cases mentioned in the English post, another case referred to in the earlier Chinese post—the Ryuya Iwasaki case—might be the most dramatic of all the incidents mentioned. This case occurred in 2017, not in 2022 as stated in the post. One of the victims' sisters was a bar hostess, while the other was a vocational school student. The criminal, Ryuya Iwasaki, then 39 years old, was a regular customer of the older sister and spent a considerable amount of money at the bar. He had a good relationship with the two sisters, often spending time together and providing financial support to the older sister and the younger sister's education. Iwasaki believed the older sister reciprocated his feelings and wanted to marry him, but she only agreed to a fake marriage to obtain Japanese citizenship, which angered Iwasaki. In a fit of rage, he killed the two sisters. Iwasaki was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment.
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The above information was found online and may not be completely accurate. If the information is not accurate, please let the informed correct it. However, it is obvious that these cases are not of indiscriminate killing nature, which is different in nature from the three cases that occurred in China this year. Particularly, the case in Shenzhen targeting a 10-year-old innocent schoolboy is even more heinous in nature!
In the group chat, the poster argued: Does having a reason justify killing someone? My answer is: Of course not! However, retaliatory killing and indiscriminate killing are different in nature. One is killing his enemy, and the other is killing innocent people, even children. Can these be equated? If someone kills your father, and you kill them in return, that is also a crime but may garner sympathy from many. However, entering a school or school bus and killing children who have no grudge against you is antisocial, anti-human behavior. This distinction is precisely an important point in analyzing the recent three cases of harming Americans and Japanese, including the Shenzhen schoolboy case.
Incidents of harming foreigners can occur in any country, which is not surprising. The key is to understand the motivation behind it, whether it is a blind xenophobic act. In March this year, the "Spanish internet celebrity couple" were in India for tourism. During the night while sleeping in a tent, the wife was gang-raped by seven Indian men. No one would say this is an act of xenophobia in India. Why have the three incidents of harming Americans and Japanese in China this year caused such a strong public outcry? It is because so far, the specific reasons for the perpetrators' actions have not been found. There are no elements of robbery, theft, rape, revenge killings, or crimes of passion. It can only be attributed to narrow-minded nationalism's indiscriminate harm. Unless it can be proven that these three cases were committed by mentally ill individuals, it is a different story.
Apart from the specific circumstances and nature of the above cases, the backgrounds of China and Japan are vastly different. China is currently drifting away from mainstream Western civilization, with foreign capital accelerating its exodus and facing severe challenges in opening up to the outside world. In this context, such heinous crimes will only deepen international suspicions and fears about China, prompting more foreigners and foreign investments to flee, further isolating China from the external world, with extremely negative impacts on economic development and Chinese people's livelihoods. This is entirely different from Japan's current international background, and the two cannot be compared.
As I was writing this, a post on WeChat caught my eye: "Do not think that the killer has nothing to do with you; he is killing a part of your future." In the wake of the series of incidents harming Japanese and American individuals, including the Shenzhen schoolboy case, I deeply agree.
Currently, some people in China are intentionally or unintentionally whitewashing incidents of harming foreigners, misleading others and creating confusion. This will only further diminish our ability for self-reflection, bringing about countless harms to the entire country and nation! What is needed now is to call for severe punishment of the perpetrators, as a deterrent, to restrain the growing trend of narrow-minded nationalism, to rectify it from the roots, to correct the narrative, and to cultivate an open, inclusive, and foreign-friendly public opinion atmosphere and national image.
Therefore, the focus of the issue is not whether these incidents are accidental or not. Whether accidental or not, if there is indiscriminate harm against foreigners, especially Americans and Japanese, it must raise a high level of vigilance throughout society. It is now time for us to engage in self-reflection!
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As I was finalizing this article, I came across a deeply moving and heartfelt letter written by the father of the schoolboy who was killed in Shenzhen, which eloquently expresses profound moral principles. The full text is as follows:
Dear Mr. xxx, Mr. xxx,
Thank you for staying with me until late last night. Regarding your comments on the consulate and the company, you are free to decide for yourselves. However, I still hope that you can understand my feelings, which is why I am writing this letter. Perhaps it is more for organizing my emotions. There may be some parts that are not written well enough, and for that, I ask for your forgiveness. Whether to forward this letter and to whom, please feel free to decide.
Hyouhei (Japanese name was translated by GPT4o) has a great love for insects and reptiles; he has a unique vision and can spot any small creature. He has a more tender heart than anyone else. Since he was young, he has had a talent for drawing and is fluent in both Japanese and Chinese.
He has been hesitant about the arrangement for accompanying me to Shenzhen. Due to his picky eating habits, he initially struggled to adapt to the local cuisine. However, recently, he has been enjoying more and more Chinese food and has developed an interest in basketball.
His sudden departure has left me completely unprepared. Now, my heart is filled with confusion and endless sorrow. I will never be able to witness his growth or see him become an adult. Not being able to protect him will be a regret that I cannot let go of for the rest of my life.
Hyouhei is both Japanese and Chinese. His mother is Chinese and lived in Japan for nearly ten years; his father is a Japanese man who has spent almost half of his life in China. Most of Hyouhei's time before the age of three was spent in my Chinese wife's home. Regardless of external reports, the fact remains that he has roots in both Japan and China.
We will not harbor hatred towards China, and likewise, we will not harbor hatred towards Japan. Regardless of nationality, we consider both countries as our own. Despite differences in customs and cultures, we are well aware that we are all the same. Therefore, I do not wish for the actions of a few despicable individuals with twisted ideologies to harm the relationship between the two countries. My only wish is that such tragedies do not recur.
Hyouhei once told me, "I want to become a person like Dad in the future." Perhaps it was just a passing thought, but as a father, those words filled me with immense comfort. I work in Japan-China trade, serving as a bridge between Japan and China. My main responsibility is to bridge the cognitive differences between both sides and facilitate smooth communication. If this unfortunate event had not occurred, I believe he would have become a more useful person than me. But now, all I can do is strive to be a person he can be proud of, and continue to make a small contribution to mutual understanding between Japan and China. This is both a redemption for my beloved son and a retaliation against the perpetrator.
Most importantly, I want to express my gratitude to Hyouhei, thanking him for making us parents and for spending 10 years, 8 months, and 7 days by our side. We will continue to live on with strength, for him, and continue to walk the path he left unfinished.
The nobility of this letter is indescribable, serving as a great mirror for the Chinese, exposing the pettiness, narrow-mindedness, and sordidness of some individuals who incite nationalist sentiments. Essentially, this reflects the normal thinking of a normal person, embodying the normal values that one should possess as a human being, although we may find it truly commendable. I immediately posted the following comment: "Moved! This is the thinking and character of a rational and normal person! The nation should become a normal country, and people should also become normal individuals."
The father of the schoolboy who lost life in China is a role model for us to learn from.
May this article serve as a reminder for Chinese nationals!
