On Tuesday, Dalian police confirmed that a 42-year-old male suspect of Chinese nationality has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the deaths of two Japanese men on May 23. The suspect and two victims were reportedly business partners in Japan who had been visiting Dalian. It is believed that the incident was triggered by a business conflict.
Japanese Government ‘Providing Necessary Support to the Victims’ Families’
Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “Preliminary investigation shows that the victims were Japanese nationals who were business partners of the suspect, and that the case was caused by a dispute in their business cooperation. The case is undergoing further investigation. Chinese authorities will handle the case in accordance with the law.”
The Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang was informed of the killings on May 25. According to Dalian authorities, the two bodies were cremated. Family members returned to Japan on Sunday. The Japanese government is “providing necessary support to the victims’ families and will continue to respond appropriately from the perspective of protecting Japanese nationals,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
The Japanese School Building in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province in Southern China | Image 深圳日本人学校
Incidents Involving Japanese Nationals in China in 2024
The murders in Dalian follow other recent incidents involving Japanese nationals in China. Last September, a 10-year-old boy who was attending a Japanese school was stabbed by a 44-year-old man in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. The attack reportedly took place around 200 meters from the school on the 93rd anniversary of the Japanese bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang.
Three months prior to that incident, a Japanese woman and her child were attacked with a knife in the city of Suzhou. Hu Youping, a school bus attendant, saw the man at a bus stop and “immediately rushed” to stop him. She was then stabbed several times and sadly succumbed to her injuries two days later. The Japanese mother and son were hurt, but their injuries were not life-threatening.
