Senior Japanese minister expresses regret over army officer’s arrest at Chinese embassy

Japan pledged to step up security at the embassy after the incident.

Photo: AFP A senior Japanese official and the country’s military have expressed regret after a serving army officer was arrested on suspicion of trespassing at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo.

Tokyo police have identified the 23-year-old suspect as Kodai Murata, a second lieutenant with the Ground Self-Defence Force, and said he was suspected of bringing an 18cm (7-inch) knife onto the embassy premises.

No one was injured in the incident and a blade was found in shrubbery on the embassy grounds, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference the incident was “truly regrettable”, adding: “The police are investigating the case and have increased the number of officers assigned to guard the embassy to enhance security. “As the investigation progresses and more details emerge, we will take the necessary steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.” The suspect has admitted to breaking into the premises, NHK reported, and told police he wanted to confront the Chinese ambassador Wu Jianghao and demand he stop making hardline remarks about Japan.

He also said he was “planning to take my own life” if his demands were rejected.

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the suspect had threatened to kill diplomats “in the name of god” and Beijing had lodged a strong protest.

Lin Jian, a spokesman for the ministry, said the incident was “egregious” and posed a serious threat to the safety of Chinese diplomats.

Lin added that it “reflects the rampant far-right ideology and forces within Japan and the growing threat of new militarism”.

He called for a thorough investigation into the incident and urged Japan to guarantee the safety of its diplomatic missions, prevent similar incidents from happening again and to “reflect on and correct its mistakes in its China policy”.

Murata, who is stationed at Camp Ebino in Miyazaki prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu, is accused of climbing over the wall from a neighbouring building around 9am local time.

The police were alerted around noon, according to NHK.

The army described the arrest of one of its officers as “very regrettable” and pledged full cooperation with the police.

The incident has sparked discussions on Japanese social media, with many emphasising the need to ensure the military remained politically neutral.

Other internet users called for a thoro

原文链接: 南华早报