The suspect in September¡¯s fatal stabbing of a Japanese boy in China has been formally arrested, according to media reports.

The 10-year-old student at a Japanese school in Shenzhen, southern China, was stabbed on his way to school and died about a day after the attack.

The suspect, a 44-year-old man surnamed Zhong, was apprehended at the scene and had been held during the investigation. Japanese media reported his arrest on Saturday, citing sources familiar with Japan-China relations.

While the motive for the attack remains unclear, and Japan has pressed Chinese authorities for an explanation, no detailed response has been provided. Chinese officials have labeled it an ¡°isolated, random case.¡±

In mid-October, a senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official reportedly suggested during talks with Japanese Director-General of Consular Affairs Keiichi Iwamoto that an explanation would be provided once judicial proceedings had made progress.

Amid fears of growing anti-Japanese sentiment in China, Japanese schools in the country plan to close or switch to online classes on Dec. 13, the anniversary of the Nanking Massacre, as a safety measure.

The September attack coincided with the 93rd anniversary of the Mukden Incident, which triggered Japan¡¯s invasion of Manchuria. Known in China as National Humiliation Day, the date often sees heightened anti-Japan sentiment, leading Japanese diplomatic missions to warn citizens abroad.

That attack also followed a similar incident in June, when a 52-year-old Chinese man stabbed a Japanese mother and child in Suzhou, in China¡¯s Jiangsu province, at a school bus stop, killing a Chinese attendant who prevented him from boarding the bus.

Rising anti-Japanese sentiment in China ¡ª fueled by Japan¡¯s decision to release treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, as well as worsening bilateral ties ¡ª has unsettled Japanese businesses and dampened future investment prospects.