Four university tutors from Iowa Cornell College were hospitalized after being stabbed by an unidentified assailant in a public park in China.
The incident occurred during a daytime visit to Beishan Park in the northern province of Jilin, as stated by a college statement describing it as a “serious incident.”
Iowa Representative Adam Zabner confirmed that his brother, David, was among the injured instructors.
He described the event as a stabbing and mentioned that his brother had been stabbed in the arm during the attack but was in stable condition in the hospital.
The group of tutors had been teaching as part of a partnership with a university in China and was accompanied by a member of Beihua University during their visit to the park.
China’s foreign ministry confirmed that the injured individuals were promptly taken to the hospital for treatment, and none of them were in a life-threatening condition.
While the ministry did not provide details about the assailant’s status, spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized that this was an isolated incident and that China remains a safe country for foreigners.
He stated, “China will continue to take relevant measures to ensure that foreigners are safe in the country.”
The incident received limited coverage in Chinese state media, and online discussions about the event were quickly censored.
Searches for related terms on Chinese social media platforms yielded no results, although some users expressed concern and sought more information about the incident.
Despite tensions in diplomatic relations, efforts have been made to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to China in the coming years, while Chinese diplomats have noted that a US State Department travel advisory has discouraged Americans from traveling to China.
Source-BBC
