Japan has called on the Chinese authorities to ensure the safety of its citizens after a mother and her child were attacked in the eastern city of Suzhou.
The incident took place at a subway station on Thursday and involved an attacker carrying what appeared to be a rock, the Japanese embassy said.
Japanese media reports said that the woman, who was with her son at the time of the attack, had been injured but her life was not thought to be in danger.
The local authorities were investigating the incident and working to apprehend the suspect, the embassy said.
“The Japanese government has urged the Chinese government to swiftly apprehend and severely punish the suspect, prevent similar incidents and ensure the safety of Japanese nationals,” it added. “We will continue to take appropriate action to protect Japanese citizens.”
The embassy has also sent an email to its citizens in China telling them to take extra safety precautions.
The Chinese foreign ministry has been asked for comment.
The attack is likely to reignite concerns over the safety of Japanese nationals in China.
It follows a similar incident in the same city in June last year, when a Chinese man attacked a Japanese mother and child with a knife and killed Hu Youping, a Chinese woman who tried to protect them. The attacker was executed earlier this year.
In September, a Japanese boy was murdered by a knifeman, who has since been executed, in the southern city of Shenzhen.
Suzhou, a city in eastern Jiangsu province with a population of around 13 million, is a major hub for Japanese companies.
Thursday’s attack occurred at a highly sensitive time, with nationalism surging ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Japanese wartime atrocities against the Chinese people remain a long-running source of tension.
Chinese residents mourn death of 10-year-old Japanese boy stabbed in Shenzhen
The Japanese consulate in Shanghai issued a security alert last week, urging Japanese citizens in China to exercise heightened caution about the potential rise in anti-Japanese sentiment.
Tokyo has previously warned that the arrest and prosecution of a number of Japanese citizens on spying charges has heightened concerns about travelling to China.
The number of Japanese nationals living in China fell below 100,000 as of October 1 last year for the first time in 20 years, according to Japan’s foreign ministry, which said the number has continued to fall.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China said the attack on Thursday was “extremely regrettable” and that it was crucial for business in China that employees and their families were safe.
There have also been reports of Chinese nationals in Japan being attacked this week, prompting the Chinese embassy to urge the local authorities to ensure the safety of its citizens.
On Wednesday, a 19-year-old Chinese visitor suffered minor injuries after being attacked and robbed in Osaka. A Japanese man has been arrested.
The following day two Chinese men were attacked by four unidentified men in Tokyo. The attackers remain at large.
