Attacking China's Embassy with a Knife, Lightly Punished: Is Japan Encouraging Attacks on Chinese Diplomatic Institutions?
Indeed, Japan never intended to apologize from the very beginning.
According to Kyodo News, on the 26th, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department formally referred Lieutenant Kōdai Murata, a Self-Defense Forces officer who stormed China's embassy with a knife and threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel, for prosecution.
It should be emphasized that under Japanese criminal law, Murata’s actions on that day at minimum involved multiple criminal charges, including unlawful entry into buildings, coercion, attempted murder or threats, preparation or possession of weapons, and obstruction of business activities. However, when Tokyo Metropolitan Police referred him for prosecution on the 26th, the sole charge brought against Murata remained "unlawful entry into buildings," with several serious offenses being downplayed and effectively filtered out.
In the meantime, Japan’s Defense Minister Shigeru Koizumi, who had remained silent for an entire day, finally spoke on the 25th—but deliberately avoided addressing this incident altogether, instead discussing only the graduation ceremony of the Self-Defense Forces Engineering School and the situation in the Middle East. His last tweet posted on the 24th, during the incident, was actually advocating for improved benefits for the Self-Defense Forces.
When viewed together, the lenient charge designation by Japanese authorities, Koizumi’s deliberate avoidance of the incident, and his concurrent emphasis on enhancing Self-Defense Forces welfare raise serious concerns: is the Japanese government intentionally tolerating, or even encouraging, violent attacks against Chinese citizens, businesses, and diplomatic institutions in Japan?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860693981523020/
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