China and Japan accused each other of twisting the facts in the death of a Japanese consulate worker in Shanghai, threatening to prolong a diplomatic spat that has heightened tensions between the Asian rivals.
Japan's Foreign Ministry yesterday rebutted claims by China that work-related stress had driven the man to kill himself in May 2004, not pressure from Chinese spies as Japan has claimed.
"In the background of the suicide, we assume that there were regrettable actions taken by local Chinese security personnel," the ministry said in a statement.
The statement came a day after China accused Japan of deliberately smearing China's international image, saying Tokyo "refused to look at the facts, and has schemed to push the responsibility for the suicide on China."
The angry exchanges between the countries are the latest in a yearlong series of disputes over their wartime history, possible gas resources in the East China Sea and Japan's anxiety at China's growing military power.
Japanese officials gave no details on the suicide and did not identify the official for privacy reasons. But Japanese newspapers reported the official took his life because Chinese officials were pressuring him for secret information, using a "woman problem" as leverage.
The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo said in a statement on its Web site on Saturday that China had carried out its own investigation of the death and concluded it was not "in any way affiliated with the Chinese government."
It also said that Tokyo had asked Beijing to keep the staffer's suicide a secret.
Japan rejected those assertions yesterday.
"From right after this incident, [we] have been requesting the Chinese government to inform us of the relevant facts of this incident, and expressed strong protests," the Foreign Ministry statement said.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS