2 Japanese nationals murdered in China; suspect already detained

According to sources, Chinese authorities explained to their Japanese counterparts that the suspect’s motive was seemingly out of a “business dispute between acquaintances."

Shotaro Demizu

Shotaro Demizu

The Japan News

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A woman and a boy leave the Japanese embassy in Beijing on September 19, 2024. PHOTO: AFP

June 4, 2025

SHENYANG – Two Japanese nationals were murdered in Dalian in Liaoning Province, China. The local public security authorities informed the Consulate-General of Japan in Shenyang of the incident on May 25. The suspect is a Chinese national and has been already detained, relevant sources in Japan and China revealed.

According to sources, the authorities explained to the Japanese side that the suspect’s motive was a “business dispute between acquaintances,” seemingly in an attempt to emphasize that the incident was not an indiscriminate attack on Japanese nationals.

Information such as the age and gender of the victims have not been revealed. Dalian has the largest population of Japanese in Northeast China with around 3,000 nationals, and around 1,700 Japanese firms operate in the city.

The Consulate-General is providing support to bereaved families and collecting information.

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