Nearly three months have passed since the active-duty Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) officer Murata Kodai illegally intruded into the Chinese Embassy in Japan with a knife. Japan’s investigation and handling process has been slow, and malicious incidents threatening the safety of Chinese embassies and consulates in Japan continue to occur. China is gravely concerned and has lodged representations multiple times, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.
Lin made the remarks in response to an inquiry from the Global Times, which said according to reports, regarding the incident where Murata Kodai illegally intruded into the Chinese Embassy in Japan while carrying a knife, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has decided to extend Murata’s detention for psychiatric evaluation to continue investigating whether he possesses criminal responsibility.
Lin stated that the incident reveals multiple deep-seated issues in today’s Japan: the worsening right-wing impact and the suppression of objective and rational voices, the toxicity of the Japanese government’s erroneous policies on vital issues concerning China-Japan relations such as history and Taiwan, the serious lack of education on true history, and the pervasive erroneous historical views.
Japan’s security policy is shifting toward an offensive and expansionist direction, with the Japanese side losing control and oversight over the JSDF, which itself suffers from a lack of internal management and discipline, said Lin.
“We have noted that for some time, many visionary individuals in Japan have demanded that the Japanese government apologize to China, while others have urged the Japanese government to seriously reflect on and rectify the JSDF’s internal management, Japan’s history education, and its China policy, so as to address the root of the problem and eradicate the underlying social soil,” Lin said.
“We hereby urge the Japanese side to reflect on its mistakes, correct them thoroughly, make comprehensive rectifications, and take full responsibility for the incident,” Lin said.
Global Times
