Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press release that on May 23, Dalian police received a call about two deaths, with the victims revealed in the initial investigation to be Japanese. Lin said the alleged killer was the business partner of the victims, and that the incident was caused by conflict over business matters.
A statement by Dalian police said the suspect, a 42-year-old man surnamed Yuan who had been living in Japan, was apprehended the day after the men died.
The police statement also said the victims were Yuan’s business partners in Japan and had travelled to China for a temporary stay. Yuan will be sent to prosecutors after the investigation.
Dalian authorities had communicated with the victims’ families and helped with the victims’ cremation, the statement said, adding that the families had returned to Japan on June 1.
The deaths were initially reported on Tuesday by Japanese media. The Nikkei newspaper said Tokyo had asked local authorities to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in the area.
Kyodo news agency quoted a Japanese government source who alleged the deaths were caused by “a grudge over business” and said they were “not politically motivated or triggered by anti-Japan sentiment”.
