Japanese Nationals Stabbed in Shanghai; China Calls it an 'Isolated Case' to Avoid Hype

(CNA, Taipei, 20th) Amid tense Sino-Japanese relations, a stabbing incident occurred at a Japanese restaurant in Shanghai yesterday, injuring two Japanese citizens. When asked if the incident was a deliberate attack on Japanese people, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated today that the suspect is a "mentally ill patient" and that this is an "isolated public security case" that should not be subject to baseless hype and association. According to a report by Beijing Daily, during a regular press conference on the afternoon of the 20th, a reporter from Japan's Kyodo News asked for the Foreign Ministry's response to the stabbing of Japanese nationals in Shanghai yesterday and if more details could be provided. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that on May 19, a mentally ill patient with a knife injured one Chinese citizen and two Japanese citizens in a Shanghai restaurant. The injured were promptly sent for medical treatment, and the suspect has been apprehended by the police. The case is under further investigation. This incident is an "isolated public security case," and Chinese authorities will handle it according to the law. A reporter from Japan's NHK asked if the stabbing incident in Shanghai was a deliberate attack targeting Japanese people. Guo Jiakun responded that relevant Chinese authorities have already issued a notice, stating it is an isolated public security case. Upon verification, the assailant is a "mentally ill patient," and Chinese authorities are investigating and handling the matter according to the law. Guo Jiakun concluded by saying, "I must also stress that certain media and individuals should not engage in baseless hype and association." The Shanghai police reported that at 12:25 PM on the 19th, the Pudong Public Security Bureau received a report of a man injuring people with a fruit knife in a restaurant on the 3rd floor of a commercial building on Century Avenue. Officers arrived, arrested the suspect, and sent the three injured individuals for medical treatment. The suspect is a 59-year-old man surnamed Yang. The report stated that during the investigation, the man was found to have confused speech, behaved erratically, and had a history of treatment for mental illness. The case is currently under further investigation. However, the Shanghai police did not disclose the nationality of the injured. According to Japan's Kyodo News, the incident took place in a Japanese restaurant inside a commercial building in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. A source from the Japanese Foreign Ministry revealed that two of the three injured are Japanese. The Japanese Consulate-General in Shanghai stated that the two Japanese nationals do not have life-threatening injuries. The report quoted a source from a company in the commercial building, who said one of the injured Japanese nationals is an executive of a Japanese-funded enterprise with an office in the building, and the non-Japanese victim is a Chinese woman. The Japanese government has requested that China ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in the country. The report said, the scene of the incident