Overview

• Zhong Changchun was executed on April 21 for fatally stabbing a 10-year-old Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen in September 2024.
• The attack occurred near a Japanese school on the anniversary of the 1931 Manchurian Incident, a date of historical significance in Sino-Japanese relations.
• Zhong had purchased the knife with the intent to gain online attention through the assault, according to court findings.
• A week earlier, another man was executed for a separate knife attack in Suzhou that left one dead and two injured near a Japanese school bus stop.
• These incidents have intensified fears over anti-Japanese sentiment and prompted Japan to demand stronger protections for its citizens in China.