In the Chinese port city of Dalian, two Japanese men lost their lives last month following a clash with a Chinese business associate. Local police disclosed this information on Tuesday, shedding light on the incident that has cast a shadow on bilateral relations.
The suspect in this tragic case is a 42-year-old man identified by his surname, Yuan. He was taken into custody on May 24, just one day after Dalian police were alerted to the killings. Yuan, who has resided in Japan for an extended period, had commercial ties with the deceased in Japan, according to a statement from Chinese police. The two Japanese nationals were visiting China at the time of the incident.
The specifics of the disagreement remain unclear, as authorities have not provided details on the nature of the conflict or the manner in which the two men were killed. This lack of information leaves much to speculation regarding the circumstances behind this unfortunate event.
Such incidents have heightened concerns among Japanese citizens regarding travel and residency in China. Last year, two separate stabbing incidents involving Japanese schoolchildren exacerbated these fears. In one tragic event, a 10-year-old boy lost his life, while in the other, a Chinese bus attendant was killed while attempting to protect children from an attacker attempting to board their school bus.
The city of Dalian, historically known as Port Arthur to western observers, has a storied past. It served as a Russian naval base before falling into Japanese hands during the Russo-Japanese War from 1904 to 1905. This historical context adds another layer of complexity to contemporary relations and the recent events.