Press Conferences

Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I have been informed that the student at the Japanese School in Shenzhen, China, who was attacked and injured by a man on their way to school yesterday, September 18, and who was receiving treatment at a hospital, passed away in the early hours of September 19. I am deeply saddened. I wish to express my sincere condolences. I can only imagine the family’s unbearable pain and sorrow. The Government will continue to provide its full support to the bereaved family.

After the incident occurred, we immediately dispatched personnel to the site from the Consulate-General of Japan in Guangzhou, and have been providing necessary support. In addition, through the Embassy of Japan and the Consulate-General of Japan in Guangzhou, we sought an explanation of the facts from China and strongly urged it to make every effort to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals. Furthermore, yesterday, on September 18, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Okano expressed the same message to Wu Jianghao, Ambassador of China to Japan.

From the start, following the incident in Suzhou this June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has communicated to institutions such as Japanese schools and Japanese language schools to urgently reassess their safety measures and also provided guidance on safety measures through the relevant overseas diplomatic missions. Furthermore, given that September 18 is the date of the Liutiaohu Incident, on September 14, we urged the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make every effort to enhance safety measures for Japanese schools. It is deeply regrettable that this incident occurred regardless of these efforts.

I take this incident extremely seriously. I will once again urge the Chinese side to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and instruct working-level officials to consider what additional measures, including safety measures for Japanese nationals, are possible for preventing a recurrence. That is all from me.

Reporter: Could you share what kind of explanation the Chinese side provided on the details of the incident and what it has said?

Minister Kamikawa: The perpetrator has been detained and I believe the background and motive of the crime will become clear upon further questioning. I cannot answer based on speculation and have urged the Chinese side to explain the facts as soon as possible.

Reporter: How do you assess the Chinese side’s cooperativeness to date? In addition, what do you think the impact on Japan-China relations will be?

Minister Kamikawa: Such an incident is not acceptable, not in any country. It is especially regrettable that this despicable act was inflicted on a student on their way to school. My heart aches when I think of the pain and sorrow of the student’s parents. Having urged the Chinese side to implement rigorous safety measures, we will strongly urge it to consider what further measures, including the aforementioned measures, it can take, and we will exert our utmost efforts to ensure those measures are realized.

Reporter: I have a question about political affairs. Minister, you will visit New York next week for the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. It is unusual, during the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, for a candidate to travel abroad. Could you share the background or the thinking behind your decision to go?

Minister Kamikawa: I have announced my candidacy for the LDP presidential election and have been making several campaign speeches around the country. In that sense, I am focusing on making every effort to speak to each member of the public about Japan’s future and long-term prospects.

However, I am, at the same time, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and I cannot neglect my official duties, particularly amid the current international situation. To date, I have engaged in my duties with my utmost dedication, and I intend to continue to do so, whatever the circumstances.

The international situation is extremely fluid and continues to change. In terms of the situation in East Asia, as well as the Middle East and Ukraine, this is a very important time, and we must make various decisions without letting any time go to waste.

Under such circumstances, I have engaged in my duties with my utmost dedication, to fulfil my responsibilities with a sense of urgency.

The September meetings of the UN are extremely important international meetings in which different countries’ leaders, foreign ministers, and other ministers will participate and discuss various challenges and issues. From the standpoint of Japan’s foreign policy, these international meetings are, in a sense, a diplomatic stage that concerns Japan’s national interests, and I therefore consider my attendance of them to be essential. I believe we must not create a diplomatic vacuum on such an occasion, so, if circumstances permit, I will attend this season’s meetings of the UN General Assembly in New York.