A Japanese boy stabbed by a man while on his way to school in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen died of his wounds early Thursday morning, the Japanese government said, sparking fears the incident will worsen already strained Sino-Japanese ties.

The 10-year-old, whose father is Japanese and mother is Chinese, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was wounded in the abdomen near a Japanese school Wednesday morning and had been receiving treatment at a hospital. The suspect, 44, was apprehended by police stationed near the educational facility.

It remains unclear whether the attacker intentionally targeted a Japanese national. The stabbing sent shockwaves through the Japanese community in China, with a businessman who lives in Guangdong Province with his family saying, "We should be vigilant and take measures such as avoiding being heard speaking Japanese outdoors."