It is unclear if the suspect targeted the boy because he was Japanese, but there is concern that the incident could trigger a further deterioration in ties

Japan’s foreign minister, Yoko Kamikawa, has described as “despicable” the alleged killing in China of a 10-year-old Japanese boy and demanded that Chinese authorities do everything possible to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals living in the country.

The boy, who has not been named by Japanese media, died on Thursday, a day after he was allegedly stabbed about 200 metres from his school in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

While it is unclear if the suspect, a 44-year-old man, targeted the boy because he was Japanese, there is concern that the incident could trigger a further deterioration in Sino-Japanese ties.

The boy killed in Shenzhen had received hospital treatment after allegedly being stabbed in the stomach, while the suspected assailant was apprehended by police officers stationed near the boy’s school, the Kyodo news agency reported, quoting Yoshiko Kijima, Japan’s consul general in Guangzhou, which is responsible for Shenzhen.

The Japanese embassy warned Japanese nationals living in China to be vigilant and take precautions.