At a June 17 regular briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the case
of an active Japan Self-Defense Forces officer identified as Murata Akihiro
illegally entering the Chinese embassy in Tokyo with a knife occurred nearly
three months ago but Japanese investigation and handling have been slow. Tokyo
District Public Prosecutors’ Office has extended Murata’s detention for
psychiatric evaluation to determine criminal responsibility. Lin said such
incidents continue to threaten the safety of Chinese diplomatic missions and
that China has raised repeated protests. He added the case highlights deeper
problems in Japan, including a rise in right-wing forces, suppression of
moderate voices, deficient historical education, a shift in security policy
toward a more offensive posture, and failures of oversight and discipline within
the Self-Defense Forces.
