A man suspected of stabbing a Japanese boy to death on Wednesday was arrested immediately and the incident is believed to be an individual case, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported on Friday.

The incident happened at 7:55 am on Sept 18 when the 10-year-old student was attacked on his way to school in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, by the suspect surnamed Zhong.

Local police immediately rushed to the scene, and the suspect was detained on the spot. An ambulance arrived at the scene at 8:05 am and the boy was sent to the nearest hospital at 8:15 am. Tragically, he died at 1:36 am on Thursday after attempts by multiple medical experts failed.

Zhong, who admitted to killing the boy, is 44 years old and has no stable job. The case is under further investigation.

Records show that Zhong was released on bail in Dongguan, Guangdong, in 2015 for allegedly damaging public telecommunication equipment. In 2019, he was detained in Shenzhen for allegedly disturbing public order.

A senior Shenzhen government official expressed deep regret for the incident and expressed his condolences to the family of the boy.

The authorities will get to the bottom of the case as soon as possible and hold the perpetrator to account according to law, the official said, adding that public security and education authorities have strengthened security measures at places surrounding schools.

The city has created an international and convenient environment for people to work, study, travel and live, and will continue to take forceful and effective measures to safeguard the life, property and legal rights of all those living in the city, including foreigners, the official added.

The incident has triggered strong condemnation from netizens on social media platforms. One such user wrote on Sina Weibo that "the child is innocent", while another called for an immediate death sentence be given to the suspect.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday that the Chinese government does not tolerate any illegal violent behavior and has always taken and will continue to take effective measures to protect foreign nationals living in the country.

The country feels deep regret and sorrow for the tragic incident and expresses condolences to the family of the boy, he said.

Lin told a news conference that the boy's father is a Japanese national and his mother is Chinese. China and Japan maintain communication on the case, he said.

"We always welcome people from all countries, including Japan, to travel, study, do business and live in China," he said. "We believe individual cases will not impact normal Sino-Japanese interaction and cooperation."