Tokyo has asked Beijing to guarantee the safety of its citizens after a knife attack at a restaurant in Shanghai that injured two Japanese, Japan’s consulate in Shanghai told AFP on Wednesday.
It is the latest point of diplomatic friction as the two countries have been embroiled in a standoff sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo could intervene militarily if Beijing were to invade Taiwan.
On Tuesday, Pudong County police said on social media that they had received a report that a man was “injuring people with a fruit knife in a restaurant.”
Police said the suspect, a 59-year-old man surnamed Yang, who was arrested at the scene, had a history of mental illness.
Three people were taken to hospital, the statement said, while Japanese media later reported that two were Japanese.
Asked about the reports, the Japanese consulate in Shanghai confirmed that two nationals were injured, adding that they were receiving medical treatment.
“The Japanese government has asked the Chinese government to … clarify the facts and provide a clear explanation … (and) ensure the safety and security of Japanese citizens,” a spokesman said in a statement.
Senior government spokesman Minoru Kihara later confirmed that Tokyo had sought an explanation, adding that a consular alert had been sent to all Japanese residents in China.
“The government will continue, keeping in touch with the interested parties, to offer all possible support from the point of view of protecting Japanese citizens,” he said.
The restaurant reported to be the scene of the attack, according to the approximate address in the police statement, appeared quiet Wednesday.
An AFP reporter saw many men in gray suits, who appeared to be security, standing guard at the mall where he was.
Police said that when Yang was arrested, he “had been speaking incoherently and acting erratically”.
AFP has contacted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
