Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

Despite repeated solemn demarches from the Chinese side, Japan has repeatedly delayed the investigation and handling of the case under various pretexts, including a so-called "psychiatric evaluation," and has failed to promptly bring the perpetrator to justice. China expresses strong dissatisfaction with this, Lin Jian, spokesperson from Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday in response to a question about a Japan's Self-Defense Force (SDF) active-duty member was indicted for unlawfully entering the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo with a knife.

Four months have passed since the incident in which Kodai Murata, an active-duty member of Japan's SDF, illegally entered the Chinese Embassy in Japan with a knife, Lin said when he was asked to comment on the media reports that the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has completed a psychiatric evaluation of this SDF officer who broke into the Chinese Embassy in Japan armed with a knife. The evaluation concluded that he is criminally responsible, and prosecutors have formally indicted him.

For some time now, vicious incidents threatening the safety of Chinese diplomatic missions in Japan have continued to occur from time to time. Many people of insight in Japan and the international community have pointed out that these dangerous developments reflect a number of deep-seated problems in Japan, including the rampant right-wing forces, the suppression of rational voices, a serious lack of proper historical education, the shift of Japan's security policy toward an offensive and expansionist direction, and inadequate management and discipline within the Self-Defense Forces, Lin said.

Lin noted that any attempt by the Japanese side to downplay the seriousness of the matter or handle it in a perfunctory manner would only condone and embolden such unhealthy trends, ultimately causing serious harm to Japan itself and the region. The international community must remain highly vigilant. We once again urge the Japanese side to conduct a thorough investigation, make rectifications, reflect on its actions, correct mistakes, get to the root causes of the problem, and provide a responsible explanation to China and the international community.