Japan has paid tribute to Hu Youping, the Chinese woman who was critically injured while stopping a knife attack on a Japanese mother and son in Suzhou, in China’s Jiangsu Province.
On June 27, the Japanese Embassy in China posted on Weibo, a Chinese social media site, mourning Ms. Hu’s death and paying tribute to her righteousness.
“We believe that her courage and kindness are also representative of the Chinese public at large,” it read.
The embassy also lowered its flag on June 28 at half-mast in her honor.
Ms. Hu would have turned 55 on July 27. She was a school bus guide who worked for a Japanese school in Suzhou.
On June 24, a 52-year-old Chinese man with a knife attacked a Japanese mother and son waiting for a Japanese school bus in Suzhou. Ms. Hu stepped forward to stop the assailant from attacking and boarding the school bus, sustaining critical injuries as a result. Other pedestrians and police officers who arrived later took control of the attacker.
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At a regular press conference on June 25, when asked by TV Tokyo about whether the June 24 attack was aimed at Japanese citizens. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she “regretted” that such an incident happened and that the police’s initial judgment was that it was an “isolated case.”
Ms. Hu died of her injuries on June 26, according to state-run media Xinhua News Agency.
Tributes from Japanese Politicians
On June 27, the Japanese Ambassador to China, Kenji Kanasugi, posted on Weibo his deep respect and heartfelt condolences for Ms. Hu’s heroic death on behalf of the Japanese government and citizens.
He said the Chinese police had made a preliminary judgment that it was an “isolated case,” but he looked forward to details of the incident as soon as possible. He also emphasized that the Japanese embassy will do its utmost to protect the safety of Japanese nationals in China.
On June 28, Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese government’s cabinet minister, said during a press conference that he was “deeply sorrowed” by the death of Hu Youping,” and reiterated “deepest gratitude and respect” for Ms. Hu’s courageous actions that prevented harm to the Japanese children on the school bus.
Mr. Hayashi also wished for the speedy recovery of the Japanese mother and son who were injured in the attack and hoped for cooperation with Chinese authorities in ensuring the safety of Japanese residing in China.
Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa speaks to members of the media after a working dinner part of the G7 foreign ministers’ meetings in Tokyo on Nov. 7, 2023. (Andronkiki Christodoulou/AFP via Getty Images)
Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoko Kamikawa, also said at a press conference on June 28 that she was saddened to learn of Ms. Hu’s death and expressed “my heartfelt gratitude and respect for her courageous actions.”
Hiroshi Yamada, a member of Japan’s parliament, wrote on social media platform X, “I offer my sincere condolences.” He thanked Ms. Hu for her courage in protecting the Japanese mother and son from the mob.
This is the second attack on Japanese nationals this year in Suzhou. In April, not far from where the recent attack took place, a Japanese man was stabbed by an “unidentified” male. He suffered minor injuries to his neck, according to the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai.
The month of June saw two attacks on foreigners in China. On June 10, three Americans were stabbed by a Chinese male in northeastern China’s Jilin Province. The White House expressed deep concern about the case.
So far, the Chinese police have not provided more details about those attackers and their motives.
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