Tokyo demands answers over Japanese boy killed in China

TOKYO, Sept 19 (AFP): Japan's prime minister demanded an explanation from Beijing on Thursday about the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen and urged China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens.

Wednesday's attack, on the anniversary of a notorious 1931 incident in the run-up to Japan's occupation of Manchuria, came against a backdrop of worsening bilateral relations.

Beijing responded by expressing condolences for the killing, calling it an isolated incident that "could happen in any country". While the motivation of the assailant remained unclear, Japanese officials have urged increased security around Japanese schools in China.

"For now, we will strongly urge China to provide an explanation about the facts of what happened. Since it's been more than a day since the incident happened, we expect them to offer an explanation as soon as possible," PM Fumio Kishida said.