In the age of social media dominance, Xi Jinping has strictly cracked down on government criticism online, making it difficult to criticize the Communist Party or the regime. Consequently, China's social media has become a tool for promoting patriotism and nationalism. In this environment, content creators seeking views have resorted to producing anti-Japanese content, leading to a predominance of anti-Japanese sentiment online.
A tragic incident occurred in Shenzhen, China, where a Japanese schoolboy was fatally stabbed by a man with a knife. The boy, who attended a Japanese school in the city, died in the early hours of September 19, 2024. This event has sent shockwaves through the Japanese community living in China. In response to the incident, some parents are considering stopping their children from using traditional Japanese school bags, known as "randoseru," fearing they might mark their children as Japanese and make them targets for violence. The suspect, a 44-year-old man, has been detained by the authorities, but no motive has been disclosed yet.