Beijing urges Tokyo to deal with boy's fatal stabbing 'calmly'

China's top diplomat Wang Yi told his Japanese counterpart that he hoped Tokyo would handle the fatal stabbing of a schoolboy in Shenzhen "calmly and rationally", Beijing's Foreign Ministry said on Sept 24.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida demanded an explanation after the attack on Sept 18 in the southern Chinese city and urged Beijing to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens.

The boy, reportedly 10 years old, was stabbed on his way to a Japanese school. Beijing's Foreign Ministry said one of his parents was Japanese and the other Chinese.

Mr Wang met Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa during a visit to New York and told her that China would investigate and handle the case "in accordance with the law".

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mr Wang said: "Japan should view this calmly and rationally and avoid politicising or escalating the issue."

He added that Beijing "will as always safeguard the safety of all foreign citizens in China".