The child, born to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother, succumbed to abdominal wounds early Thursday morning at a local hospital. Police apprehended a 44-year-old male suspect near the educational facility.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described the incident as an "extremely despicable crime" and said he had directed officials to press Beijing for swift information sharing.
"We regret and feel saddened by this unfortunate incident," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters, adding that China would "continue to take effective measures to protect all foreign nationals in China."
The attack follows a similar incident in June near Shanghai, where a Japanese mother and child were injured in a knife attack.
Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Tokyo had demanded that Beijing "make every possible effort" to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in China.
The stabbing occurred on the anniversary of the 1931 Manchurian Incident, which led to Japan's invasion of northeastern China. According to Kamikawa, Japan had already requested that the Chinese Foreign Ministry take safety measures for Japanese schools last week.
