Reflection on “9.18 Incident” Involving Murder of a Japanese Child: Are Chinese Lives Worth Less?

“The death of one child in China has triggered such intense emotions in Japan. How do you think the people of Asia, who suffered under Japanese militarism, feel?

Put yourself in their shoes: Japanese courts still use the excuse of ‘state non-liability’ to dismiss the claims of Chinese and Korean victims’ families. How do you think those families feel?”

Recently, on the sensitive date of September 18, a “black swan” incident involving foreign nationals occurred in China: a 10-year-old Japanese boy was fatally stabbed on his way to school in Shenzhen by a 44-year-old Chinese man. Following the incident, public opinion in Japan surged, and some Japanese media interpreted the event as a reflection of anti-Japanese sentiment in China.

Indeed, there is a pervasive atmosphere of anti-Japanese sentiment among the Chinese public. This stems not only from historical grievances but also from Japan’s recent alignment with the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, forming alliances with countries like the U.S., India, and Australia, and aggressively promoting the “China threat” narrative. Japan has even declared that “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency, and a Japan contingency is a U.S.-Japan alliance contingency.”

However, anti-Japanese sentiment does not equate to a loss of rationality among the Chinese public. In the past, the compassionate Chinese people repaid hostility with kindness, adopting numerous Japanese orphans after Japan’s defeat in World War II. Even now, they would not vent their anger on ordinary Japanese citizens, let alone innocent Japanese children. Just three months ago, in Suzhou, a Chinese woman, Hu Youping, sacrificed her own life to save a Japanese mother and child—something any reasonable person could recognize as an act of human decency.

In China, where various social contradictions, conflicts, and difficulties intertwine, public safety—particularly the safety of primary and secondary school students—has always been a critical issue requiring strict vigilance. Today, primary, secondary, and even university campuses are equipped with security personnel and guards. Even parents cannot freely enter school premises; they must first contact the school and obtain approval. Such measures were unheard of during my generation.

Despite these precautions, some incidents remain unavoidable. For example, two years ago in Mizhi County, Shaanxi Province, a man surnamed Zhao killed eight or nine elementary school students at the school gate. His motive? He was frustrated by his own failures in life and unleashed his malice on defenseless children. Thus, the tragic incident in Shenzhen on September 18, involving the murder of a Japanese child, appears to be an isolated criminal case with clear antisocial tendencies. What makes it noteworthy is its timing—occurring on September 18, a historically sensitive date, targeting a Japanese elementary school student, and coinciding with a highly delicate period in Sino-Japanese relations. Unlike the Suzhou incident involving Hu Youping, there was no act of heroism to counterbalance this tragedy.

This event is unrelated to China’s patriotic education or the establishment of National Humiliation Day. The principle of “remembering the past to guide the future” remains relevant, particularly as Japan has yet to deeply reflect on and sincerely apologize for its wartime atrocities against China and other Asian nations. Moreover, Japan continues to interfere in the Taiwan Strait and provoke China. Under such circumstances, China will not cease its patriotic education or commemoration of National Humiliation Day. Japan itself quietly regards August 15 (the date of its surrender in World War II) as its own “National Humiliation Day” and commemorates it annually. However, Japan’s perspective on this “humiliation” is historically distorted—China often views it as a dangerous signal of Japan’s attempts to abolish its pacifist constitution and revive militarism.

That said, the Chinese side has its own shortcomings to reflect upon after the incident. Perhaps out of concern for maintaining the overall stability of Sino-Japanese relations, the authorities downplayed the event and did not promptly address concerns raised by relevant parties. Furthermore, the measures to regulate and punish a small number of ignorant and shallow individuals exploiting “patriotic sentiment” for attention online have been insufficient. In many cases, even isolated incidents require heightened vigilance to prevent them from escalating into irrational populist sentiment. Recently, a deputy county governor on secondment in Sichuan reportedly made extreme comments online, such as, “Killing one child is no big deal,” and “It’s not indiscriminate killing—it was just a little Japanese kid.” Such remarks have sparked attention and condemnation in China’s public opinion space. Although this individual is under official investigation, the government must deeply reflect: how was someone so unqualified and cold-hearted selected for such a position? If this person were to climb higher in rank, where would they lead the country?

According to reports, Japan remains dissatisfied with the Chinese government’s response to the September 18 case. Japanese media have suggested that treating “this incident as a simple street murder would be a grave mistake.” While this interpretation is clearly irrational, it is not entirely incomprehensible. After all, the victim was one of their own citizens, and a child no less. But shouldn’t they also consider: if the death of one child in China can provoke such intense emotions in Japan, how did the peoples of Asia, who suffered immensely under Japanese militarism, feel back then?

Empathy matters. Japanese courts still dismiss claims from Chinese and Korean victims’ families, citing “state non-liability.” How do you think those families feel?

September 18 is a day of profound sorrow for all Chinese people, but China does not wish to turn this date—79 years later—into one of mourning for Japanese children and ordinary Japanese citizens. Nor does it want to make it a day of shared grief for both Chinese and Japanese people. In my opinion, this reflects the thoughts and feelings of all rational Chinese citizens.

(This article was published in Lianhe Zaobao. The author, Yang Jianye, is a professor at Xi’an University of Science and Technology.)

Original title: “Yang Jianye: The ‘Black Swan’ Incident on September 18 Requires Deep Reflection”