[People News] On the morning of March 24, 2026, a 23-year-old Japanese Self-Defense Force member, acting on personal impulse, entered the Chinese Communist Party’s embassy in Japan with a knife. He was subdued on the spot, and no casualties were caused. However, China’s Foreign Ministry and state media quickly defined the incident as “rampant Japanese far-right ideology” and “proof of the revival of new militarism,” launching fierce political attacks against the government of Sanae Takaichi while simultaneously inciting a new wave of anti-Japan sentiment domestically.

This move by the Chinese Communist Party seriously tramples on the facts. This kind of preemptive political framing is not for safeguarding diplomatic security, but rather to attribute the deterioration of China–Japan relations to Japan. It is a typical case of information manipulation, aimed at diverting attention and potentially mobilizing anti-Japanese populism.

According to Japanese police investigations, the suspect, Murata Akihiro (transliteration), 23, a Ground Self-Defense Force third lieutenant, was absent without reason the day before. He purchased a kitchen knife with a blade about 18 cm long near Tokyo Station, stayed overnight at an internet café, and at around 9 a.m. on the 24th climbed over a fence from the fourth floor of a nearby building into the Chinese Embassy in Japan. He was discovered and subdued by embassy staff. No one was injured, and the knife was found hidden in vegetation within the embassy grounds.

Murata admitted to illegal entry, stating that his motive was to “personally express his views to the Chinese ambassador and hope Beijing would stop its tough rhetoric toward Japan.” If his views were not accepted, he said he “planned to commit suicide to shock the other side.” Japanese media NHK and Asahi Shimbun both reported it as an “individual act” with no organizational background. Police arrested him on suspicion of unlawful entry into a building, and the investigation is ongoing.

The Japanese government responded with restraint and rationality, acting fully in accordance with diplomatic protocol and rules. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said it was “deeply regrettable.” The Self-Defense Forces stated they would fully cooperate with the police and handle the matter seriously. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have strengthened 24-hour security around the embassy and deployed additional officers. Japan emphasized that this was an isolated illegal act, not the will of the state or military.

The Chinese Communist Party’s response was entirely different. On the afternoon of the incident, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian preemptively set the tone at a regular press conference, stating that the suspect “threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel in the name of ‘God.’” He said the incident “seriously violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” was “extremely malicious in nature,” and reflected that “far-right ideology in Japan is extremely rampant” and that “new militarism is becoming a serious problem.” He directly accused the Takaichi government’s policies on history and Taiwan of having “deeply harmful consequences,” and demanded that Japan “thoroughly investigate and severely punish,” “reflect and correct,” and “fundamentally eliminate” the issue.

The Chinese Embassy in Japan also issued a statement criticizing Japan for “losing control over the expansion of its Self-Defense Forces.” Chinese state media such as Xinhua and Global Times quickly followed up, treating the incident as a prize and packaging it as a symbol of Japan’s “revival of militarism,” while smearing Japan for allegedly conducting long-term anti-China education among its population.

Chinese nationalist internet users (“Little Pinks”) rapidly stirred up an anti-Japan wave on platforms such as Weibo and Douyin. Posts were filled with phrases like “the ghost of Japanese militarism still lingers” and “the Takaichi government condones the right wing,” with some even calling for immediate war between China and Japan. Emotional attacks, hate-driven messaging, and politicized interpretations far exceeded the facts themselves.

China held a press conference that afternoon to define the narrative, while Japanese police only provided detailed explanations in the evening. Japanese media pointed out that China used the timing gap in information release to successfully dominate international public opinion and politicize the incident. This operation by the Chinese Communist Party is not isolated, but rather an attempt to evade responsibility for the overall deterioration of China–Japan relations.

Since November 2025, after Takaichi took office, her statement that “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency” has strongly provoked the Chinese Communist Party. China then adopted a series of retaliatory measures, including restricting Japanese seafood imports, imposing export controls on dual-use items, issuing travel warnings to Japan, and canceling some cultural exchanges. It even orchestrated statements by Chinese diplomats openly calling for the beheading of Takaichi, leading to a rapid deterioration of China–Japan relations. China originally intended to politically crush Takaichi, but instead her approval ratings rose sharply.

This reflects the Chinese Communist Party’s consistent tactic of portraying itself as a victim while shifting responsibility. Chinese media claim Japan has long conducted anti-China education, but the article argues that such materials are actually produced by China itself. It points to repeated references to the Nanjing Massacre and anti-Japanese themes in cultural works as part of domestic messaging, contributing to strong nationalist sentiment. In recent years, multiple violent incidents targeting Japanese nationals in China have occurred, with authorities allegedly handling perpetrators leniently. Actions such as responses to the nuclear wastewater issue and military exercises in the Taiwan Strait are described as contributing to anti-China sentiment in Japan, indirectly fueling dissatisfaction like that of the suspect. The article claims the Chinese Communist Party is the root cause.

The article argues that China’s strong reaction to this embassy incident exposes three major concerns:

First, pressure from a strengthened U.S.–Japan alliance.
On March 19, 2026, during a visit to the United States, Takaichi met with Donald Trump, and both sides further aligned their positions on Taiwan-related strategy. This is described as undermining China’s long-standing efforts to divide the U.S. and Japan.

Second, weakening confidence amid global geopolitical changes.
The article claims that recent international developments have shaken China’s confidence, prompting it to use nationalist messaging to project strength.

Third, concern over Japan’s political stance and economic recovery.
Takaichi’s conservative policies, moves toward normalizing the Self-Defense Forces, and Japan’s economic recovery are contrasted with China’s economic slowdown, real estate crisis, and youth unemployment, creating what the article describes as strategic anxiety.

It concludes that the Chinese Communist Party’s handling of the incident—through information manipulation, shifting blame, and inciting populism—reveals that it sees itself as facing serious internal and external pressures, as well as fears over the stability of its rule.

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