Japanese SDF Officer Indicted Over Intrusion into Chinese Embassy

Dragon Media News Desk

A Japanese Self-Defense Forces officer has been indicted for allegedly entering the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo without authorization while carrying a bladed weapon.

According to the Global Times, Tokyo prosecutors filed charges against Kodai Murata on Monday, including unlawful entry into a building, violation of Japan’s Firearms and Swords Control Law and intimidation.

The Chinese side said Murata entered the embassy compound on March 24 while carrying a knife and issued violent threats.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Japan said the incident seriously violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, infringed upon China’s sovereignty and dignity, and posed a grave threat to the personal safety of Chinese diplomats and the security of the embassy premises.

“We strongly urge the Japanese side to earnestly take responsibility, conduct a thorough investigation as soon as possible, uncover the root causes, severely punish those involved and prevent similar incidents from happening again,” the Global Times quoted the spokesperson as saying.

The embassy also urged Japan to provide China and the international community with a responsible explanation.

The spokesperson said the incident exposed the spread of far-right ideology and forces in Japan, as well as serious shortcomings in the management and education of SDF personnel.

The Chinese Embassy further alleged that the Japanese government’s policies on major issues affecting China-Japan relations, including history and the Taiwan question, had created social conditions for what it described as “neo-militarism” to gain influence.