Mao Ning

China's Foreign Ministry and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the state Council on Wednesday condemned recent violent and criminal acts targeting Chinese citizens in Japan, urging the Japanese side to make concrete efforts to ensure the safety and security of Chinese nationals and institutions in Japan.

At a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to Japanese media inquiries regarding the Ministry's recent advice for Chinese citizens to avoid visiting Japan due to rising crimes targeting Chinese nationals, noting that there have been a multitude of crimes targeting Chinese nationals in Japan. 

"Just last week, Japanese police arrested five people suspected of attacking Chinese nationals," Mao said, adding that a lot of extreme and threatening rhetoric against China can be found on the Internet in Japan, and the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan have been recently repeatedly harassed, both online and offline, by right-wing provocateurs.

"We urge the Japanese side to take China's concerns seriously, and make concrete efforts to ensure the safety and security of Chinese nationals and institutions in Japan," Mao said.

On the same day, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office commented on the case of two Taiwan compatriots who were severely injured in Tokyo in July after being attacked by five Japanese men, which Japanese police recently stated that the suspects involved have been arrested, stating that since the beginning of this year, Japan has experienced deteriorating public security, with multiple incidents of tourists, including Taiwan compatriots, being attacked.

The spokesperson also pointed to the recent provocative remarks on Taiwan made by the Japanese prime minister, saying they have severely undermined the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges, while anti-China and xenophobic extremist behaviors by right-wing forces in Japan are increasing, posing significant risks to the safety and lives of tourists. 

"Taiwan compatriots are our flesh and blood. We strongly condemn such violent acts and urge the Japanese side to swiftly and severely punish the perpetrators," stated the spokesperson.

Experts said the escalation of hostility toward Chinese people in Japan cannot be separated from claims made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan, which severely damaged China-Japan relations and emboldened extremist groups.

With Chinese countermeasures on Takaichi's remarks have taken effect, some Japanese right-wing and conservative groups have sought to shift the resentment from the backlash onto Chinese residents in Japan, harming innocent people, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Da said rising online abuse against Chinese people, and even against Japanese citizens and politicians who oppose Takaichi's remarks, could translate into real-world violence. He noted that China's decision to publicly cite recent attacks and crime cases involving Chinese citizens, while issuing warnings, is a responsible move to safeguard the safety of its nationals.

Late Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in Japan issued another security alert, reiterating its call for Chinese citizens to be vigilant amid the worsening public security situation in the country.

According to data from Japan's National Police Agency, Japan's overall public security environment has continued to deteriorate in recent years. From 2021 to 2024, the number of criminal cases suspected of violating Japan's penal code rose from 568,000 to 738,000. Serious violent crimes — including abduction, arson, homicide, robbery, rape and sexual assault — increased from 8,821 cases to 14,614, marking a surge of about 65.7 percent, the embassy said in a notice published on its official WeChat account.

Since July, the number of requests for assistance received by Chinese diplomatic missions regarding discrimination-related incidents has risen significantly, with a notable spike reported in November. In recent days, multiple Chinese nationals living in Japan have reported being subjected to unprovoked verbal abuse or physical assault, resulting in injuries, according to the embassy.

Following these incidents, the Chinese Embassy and consulates immediately extended sympathies to the victims and provided assistance, while also lodging representations with the Japanese side, urging police to swiftly solve the cases, punish the perpetrators, and effectively safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals. However, many of the cases remain unsolved and the assailants have yet to be held legally accountable, the notice said.

The embassy once again advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, and reminded those already in the country to heighten their security awareness and take necessary self-protection measures. It urged anyone encountering targeted or discriminatory incidents to preserve evidence, report promptly to the police, and contact Chinese diplomatic missions for assistance.