A Chinese man has been sentenced to death for attacking a Japanese mother and child with a knife and killing a Chinese woman who tried to protect them, according to the Japanese government. The attack took place outside a Japanese school in Suzhou, China, on June 24, 2024.
Zhou Jiasheng, 52, carried out the attack after a period of personal hardship, including the loss of his job and mounting debts. The Chinese court deemed the attack an “intentional murder,” citing its “significant social impact” as the reason for the death penalty.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that the ruling did not mention Japan directly but noted that officials from the Japanese consulate in Shanghai were present at the sentencing. Hayashi condemned the crime, stating that it was “absolutely unforgivable” and that it involved the killing and injury of innocent people, including a child. He also paid tribute to Hu Youping, a Chinese bus attendant who was killed while trying to protect the victims.
This attack was one of several high-profile incidents involving foreigners in China last year, sparking concern within the local Japanese community. Another attack in Shenzhen had led to the death of a Japanese schoolboy.
Chinese authorities have been dealing with a rise in violent incidents, with many attacks believed to be driven by personal grievances. Last year, there were 19 attacks on pedestrians or strangers, a sharp increase from previous years. In recent days, China has carried out several executions, including one on Monday for a man who killed at least 35 people in a car attack, thought to be the country’s deadliest in a decade.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, commented that the case was still in the judicial process and reiterated that China would “act to protect the safety of foreign nationals in China.”
