China’s foreign ministry has accused some Japanese of linking the killing of a boy from a Japanese school to anti-Japanese posts on Chinese social media. The ministry says the risks to safety are being exaggerated.
Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the comment at a news conference on Tuesday.
Li said: “Some in Japan have been linking this individual case with so-called ‘anti-Japan’ comments on Chinese social networks, and exaggerating and sensationalizing so-called ‘safety risks.’ This type of rhetoric is clearly not what the facts have shown.”
Last week, the 10-year-old boy died after a knife attack in Shenzhen, southern China. Chinese authorities have yet to disclose details behind the case, including the motive.
The Japanese government has called for tough crackdowns on groundless anti-Japanese posts on Chinese social media, including those about Japanese schools in the country.
After the deadly incident, the operator of a Chinese video-sharing app said it had cracked down on some accounts for fueling tensions between the two countries. But some people say on social media that they oppose Tokyo’s call for restrictions.