China has executed a man convicted of killing at least 35 people in a car attack in November, marking the deadliest attack in the country in over a decade.
The perpetrator, Fan Weiqiu, 62, also injured dozens when he drove his car into a group of people exercising outside a stadium in the southern city of Zhuhai.
State media reported that a second man, Xu Jiajin, 21, was executed for a separate attack just days later.
Xu was found guilty of killing eight people during a stabbing spree at his university in the eastern city of Wuxi.
Authorities revealed that Fan’s actions were fueled by “dissatisfaction” over how his property was divided following a divorce.
Meanwhile, Xu carried out his attack after “failing to obtain his diploma due to poor exam results.”
Fan was apprehended at the scene on November 11, with police noting that he had sustained self-inflicted injuries. In December, he was convicted of “endangering public safety.”
The Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court condemned his motives as “extremely vile” and described his methods as “particularly cruel.” Less than a month after his sentencing, Fan was executed on Monday.
In Xu’s case, police said he admitted to the attack “without hesitation” after being detained on November 16.
He was sentenced to death on December 17, with the court describing his actions as “particularly bad” and the consequences “extremely serious.”
China has seen a rise in public violence in recent years, with many attackers motivated by personal grievances and a desire to “take revenge on society.”
Analysts attribute this trend to increasing stress levels among citizens, exacerbated by economic struggles and social pressures.
“People seem to be struggling to cope with various sources of tension, and it doesn’t look like these pressures will ease anytime soon,” said George Magnus, an economist at Oxford University’s China Centre.
The Zhuhai and Wuxi attacks were part of a series of violent incidents in late 2024. Shortly after these events, a man drove into a crowd of children and parents outside a primary school in Changde city, injuring 30.
The perpetrator, Huang Wen, reportedly acted out of frustration over investment losses and family disputes.
Huang received a suspended death sentence last month, which could be commuted to life imprisonment if he does not commit another crime within two years.
While China does not release official statistics on executions, human rights organizations believe it remains the world’s leading executioner, with thousands of executions carried out annually.
The recent string of mass attacks has intensified debates about social stability and the handling of mental health and personal grievances in the country.
Source-BBC
