China urges Japan to 'seriously punish' embassy perpetrator

Regarding the recent court hearing for a Japan Self-Defense Forces officer who broke into the Chinese embassy in Japan with a knife, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday, "We once again urge the Japanese side to seriously punish the perpetrator to deter others from following suit."

The Tokyo District Court held the first hearing in open court on October 1 for Kodai Murata, who illegally broke into the Chinese embassy.

"Whether the Japanese side can handle this matter seriously in accordance with the law serves as a test of whether the Japanese government can effectively fulfill its obligations under international law, and it bears on Japan's national credibility and international image," she said.

The Self-Defense Forces officer's violent threats against Chinese diplomatic personnel "constitute a malicious incident unprecedented in the international community", Mao said.