Police in China have arrested a 55-year-old man following a rare attack on foreigners in which four American university tutors were stabbed. The incident occurred in a public park in Jilin province, northern China, during a daytime visit. The four victims, instructors from Iowa’s Cornell College, were hospitalized after the attack.
According to a statement from the college, the tutors were involved in a “serious incident” while visiting the park. Adam Zabner, a representative from Iowa, confirmed that his brother David was among the injured. Describing the event as a stabbing, he reported that David was stabbed in the arm but is recovering in the hospital. “He has not yet been released this morning but he’s doing okay,” Zabner told CBS News.
Here is what you need to know
The Chinese foreign ministry has assured that none of the injuries are life-threatening. Police reports indicate that the attacker, identified by the surname Cui, had a confrontation with one of the Americans before stabbing them. Cui then proceeded to injure three other US visitors and a Chinese tourist who intervened.
The attack took place on Monday at Beishan Park in Jilin city. The group, accompanied by a member of Beihua University, had been visiting a local temple when they were assaulted.
An isolated incident, says China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Cornell College confirmed that the instructors were in China as part of a partnership with a local university. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, labeled the incident as isolated and stated that an investigation is ongoing. “This was an isolated incident and the investigation continues,” he said. “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.”
Lin Jian emphasized that this attack is not expected to impact China’s international relations. “We believe this will not damage relations with other countries,” he added.
How has US reacted?
The US State Department acknowledged reports of the incident but said it could not provide additional details. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds expressed her concern on social media, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Please pray for their full recovery, safe return, and their families here at home.”
Images of the incident, showing at least three people bleeding and lying on the ground, briefly circulated online before being censored on Chinese internet platforms. As of Tuesday, searches for related terms yielded no results despite trending on Weibo, as per a report from BBC News.
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