'Truly regrettable' - Japanese soldier arrested after breaching Chinese Embassy in Tokyo as tensions simmer

"Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has condemned the "deeply regrettable" security breach by an active-duty Ground Self-Defence Force officer at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday. "I understand that yesterday, March 24, a male member of the Self-Defence Forces trespassed onto the grounds of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo and was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of trespassing," Kihara said during a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday. "It is truly regrettable that a Self-Defence Forces officer, who should be upholding the law, was arrested on suspicion of trespassing," he added. The incident involving 23-year-old Second Lieutenant Kodai Murata, who allegedly scaling a perimeter wall, has sparked diplomatic backlash from Beijing and prompted an immediate surge in security personnel around the compound. According to Kihara, China has requested clarification on the incident and measures to prevent a recurrence. He further assured that the government will take appropriate action in accordance with applicable international and domestic laws. "I understand that the police are continuing their investigation to clarify the matter and have already taken necessary security measures, such as increasing the number of police officers assigned to guard the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo," he assured. China lodged a 'strong protest' with the Japanese government after the incident, which it described as a 'forceful break-in', the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. Ties between the Asian neighbours have deteriorated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested last November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan, the democratically governed island China claims as its own, could trigger a military response from Tokyo. Japan is set to downgrade its description of ties with China from 'one of its most important' relationships in an annual diplomatic report, and will instead describe it as an important neighbour, with the relationship characterised as 'strategic' and 'mutually beneficial,' citing a series of confrontations with Beijing over the past year."

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