A Japanese woman living in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou was attacked and injured inside a subway station on Thursday, just hours after two Chinese nationals were seriously wounded in an unrelated incident in Tokyo. The twin attacks, reported by Japanese and Chinese authorities, have heightened concerns about a growing wave of xenophobic violence and rising public hostility between the two countries.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing the Consulate General in Shanghai, said the woman had been with her child inside a Suzhou subway station when the attack occurred. Though the child was unharmed, the woman sustained injuries and was treated at a hospital before returning home. Her identity has not been made public.
Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that the suspect behind the Suzhou incident had been detained by local police, though authorities in Suzhou had not issued an official statement by Friday evening. A call to the local police station went unanswered.
The attack marks the third known case of violence targeting Japanese citizens in China since last year. In a similar incident in June 2024, another Japanese woman and her child were assaulted in Suzhou. A Chinese bus attendant who tried to intervene was killed. The attacker in that case was sentenced to death. And in September 2023, a 10-year-old Japanese student was stabbed to death by a Chinese man outside the Japanese School in Shenzhen. That attacker was also sentenced to death.
In a statement on Friday, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China expressed alarm, “It is extremely regrettable that such an incident has happened again. Ensuring the safety of employees and their families is fundamental for doing business in China.”
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, authorities are investigating a violent street assault in which two Chinese men were attacked by four unidentified assailants wielding weapons. The attackers remain at large. The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo has called on Japanese authorities to swiftly apprehend the suspects and ensure the safety of Chinese nationals residing in Japan.
“In response to the recent surge in xenophobic sentiment in Japanese society, we urge the Japanese government to protect the safety and legal rights of Chinese citizens,” the embassy said.
Both governments have tried to frame these attacks as isolated incidents, but the pattern of retaliatory violence and increasing nationalist rhetoric on both sides has fueled growing public anxiety.
Tensions between Japan and China have historically been shaped by political disputes, wartime memories, and regional rivalry, but recent assaults involving civilians especially women and children have drawn intense scrutiny from human rights organisations and diplomatic circles.
Observers warn that without active government efforts to calm public sentiment and protect vulnerable communities, mutual distrust could deepen, harming not only social relations but also business and diplomatic engagement between Asia’s two largest economies.
Erizia Rubyjeana
Follow us on:
