Press Conferences

Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I have two announcements.

Regarding the incident in Shenzhen, China, I am still filled with deep sorrow. I wish to offer my condolences to the child who passed away and once again express my sincere sympathies to the bereaved family. It is heart-wrenching to think about the family’s pain and sorrow.

Yesterday, we dispatched KANASUGI Kenji, Ambassador of Japan to China to the site, and have been providing necessary support. In addition, we have been strongly urging China to provide a clear explanation of the facts and to ensure the safety of children through various channels, including Ambassador-level.

The Government of Japan will do everything it can to ensure the safety of Japanese schools throughout China, giving top priority above all to the safety of children.

We have been taking initiatives, including providing training to teachers and staff on safety measures and bolstering school facilities. In addition, following the school bus attack in Suzhou this June, we requested Japanese schools and Japanese supplementary schools worldwide to urgently reassess their safety measures. Our overseas diplomatic missions have also once again asked the schools to implement thorough safety measures.

Furthermore, in the FY2025 budget request, we requested approximately 350 million yen as security expenses for school buses in China.

In response to the recent incident, our eight diplomatic missions in China sent out consul emails twice alerting Japanese residents, once on the day of the incident and again the following day. Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued spot information. Additionally, the Embassy of Japan in China hosted an emergency meeting with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, the Beijing Japanese Club, and Beijing Japanese School. An overview of the incident was provided, and caution was advised once again. Similar meetings will be swiftly hosted by a total of seven Japanese consulates-general and consular offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Chongqing, Qingdao, and Hong Kong.

We are taking very seriously that the incident will cause growing anxiety among children at the school and their parents and guardians. The Government of Japan intends to make every effort to provide them psychological support.

This incident occurred while the student was commuting to school on foot. We will carefully assess the local situation, including the various commuting methods. We will intensively reassess and take necessary measures to ensure safety according to the respective situations.

On top of this, I have instructed working-level officials to consider additional measures. In coordination with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and other ministries and agencies, we will swiftly consider what can be done, referring also to examples such as safety measures taken in Japan. The Government of Japan takes this incident very seriously, and it will do everything it can. As such, we are giving earnest consideration to dispatching any of the three highest ranking officials of MOFA to China.

Minister Kamikawa: Second, on September 23, I will attend the High-Level Week of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.

The UN General Assembly is an extremely important diplomatic opportunity in which leaders and foreign ministers will participate from many countries and discuss various issues. Amid an increasingly severe and fluid international situation, including the situations in East Asia, Ukraine, and the Middle East, I will maximize the strengths of Japan’s diplomacy that has long worked toward peacebuilding, in order to restore confidence in multilateralism, including in the UN, and to strengthen our cooperation with like-minded countries. During my stay, I will conduct strategic discussions with various foreign ministers to ensure maximum impact in line with Japan’s diplomatic priorities. We must not create a vacuum in Japan’s diplomacy.

Building also on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future to be attended by Prime Minister Kishida, I will strive to maintain and strengthen an international order based on the rule of law.

The key to diplomacy is trust between people, and to have such trust, it is essential to carry out candid discussions in person. At this year’s UN General Assembly, I will hold intensive discussions in person with my counterparts to maintain close communication and strengthen cooperation, based on the personal trust developed with each other over the past year.

During my visit, I will attend meetings, including the Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the G4 Countries on UN Security Council Reform and the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and hold meetings with the respective foreign ministers. I will firmly demonstrate Japan’s commitment to multilateralism with the UN at its core to live up to the trust and expectations placed on Japan, backed by the achievements of its peace diplomacy over the 80 years since the end of World War II. In addition, I will enhance Japan’s close cooperation with the international community on regional and international affairs.

As for Women, Peace and Security (WPS), which I have been strongly advocating for, I will deliver a minister’s message at a related meeting. Next year, which marks 25 years since the adoption of the UN Security Council’s WPS resolution, Japan will exercise leadership in the UN’s WPS Focal Points Network and strongly promote women’s active participation in the area of security.

That is all from me.

Kyodo News, Nishiyama: I would like to ask about the incident in Shenzhen. Is there any information on the suspect’s motive? What are your thoughts on the impact on future Japan-China relations? In addition, you mentioned earlier about dispatching any of the three highest ranking officials to China. Could you tell us about which level and around when they will be sent?

Minister Kamikawa: Regarding your first question, we have been seeking an explanation of the facts pertaining to this incident from China and urged it to make every effort to ensure the safety of children through various channels, including demarche by the Japanese Ambassador to China to the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China.

In response, the Chinese side has explained that it would make every effort to protect the safety of foreign nationals in China, including Japanese nationals, and that this incident was an isolated case.

We continue to strongly urge China to provide a thorough explanation of the facts as soon as possible and take utmost measures to ensure the safety of children.

This incident occurred while the student was commuting to school on foot. As there are various routes and methods of commuting to school, we will carefully assess the local situation. We will also intensively reassess and take necessary measures to ensure safety according to the respective situations.

On top of this, I have instructed working-level officials to consider additional measures. As I stated earlier, in coordination with the relevant ministries and agencies, especially MEXT, we will swiftly consider what can be done, referring also to safety measures taken in Japan.

Regarding your second question about the official to be dispatched, this is currently under consideration, and we intend to inform you shortly.