A 55-year-old man has been arrested after a stabbing attack on four US university instructors at Beishan Park in Jilin province, China. The victims, all associated with Iowa’s Cornell College, are currently in hospital receiving treatment, the BBC reported. The incident, described as a “serious incident” by Cornell College, occurred during a daytime visit to the park on Monday. The instructors, part of a teaching partnership with Beihua University, were accompanied by a local university member when the attack took place.
Iowa Representative Adam Zabner confirmed that his brother, David Zabner, a Tufts University doctoral student, was among those injured. “He has not yet been released this morning but he’s doing okay,” Adam Zabner told CBS News, adding that his brother was stabbed in the arm.
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Assailant Clashed With One Of The American Visitors Before Attacking Others, Chinese Tourist Also Injured: Report
The assailant, identified by his surname Cui, reportedly clashed with one of the American visitors before attacking others, as per BBC’s report. A Chinese tourist who tried to intervene was also injured. China’s foreign ministry stated that none of the injuries were life-threatening and the injured were promptly taken to hospital for treatment.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian emphasised the randomness of the attack, assuring that it was an isolated incident. “China is widely considered one of the safest countries in the world and China will continue to take relevant measures to ensure that foreigners are safe in the country,” he said, adding that the incident would not harm international relations, as quoted by the report.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds described the attack as “horrifying” and called for prayers for the victims’ recovery. “Please pray for their full recovery, safe return, and their families here at home,” she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
I am in touch with Iowa’s federal delegation and the state department in response to this horrifying attack.
Please pray for their full recovery, safe return, and their families here at home. https://t.co/cp2BXnQmLa
— Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) June 10, 2024
Despite the severity of the incident, reports and images have been swiftly censored on Chinese social media. Searches for related terms on platforms like Weibo produced no results, forcing users to discuss the event under adjacent topics, as per BBC.
Hu Xijin, a well-known online commentator and former chief editor of China’s Global Times, characterised the attack as a “chance event” and noted that Chinese people are generally friendly towards foreigners. His post has since been removed.
This incident occurs amidst efforts by Beijing and Washington to rebuild people-to-people exchanges. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently announced plans to invite 50,000 young Americans to China over the next five years, despite a travel advisory from the US State Department discouraging travel to China.