Stabbing in Chinese park: 4 lecturers at a US university injured in attack in Jilin, motive unclear

The US State Department is monitoring the situation after four lecturers from an Iowa college were attacked in a park in northeast China’s Jilin province on Monday.

Jonathan Brand, president of Cornell College, confirmed on Tuesday that the lecturers were stabbed in a park in the provincial city of Jilin, home to Beihua University, with which the private academy has a cooperative relationship, the Associated Press reported.

None of the victims are in critical condition, Iowa Public Radio quoted a family member of the instructor as saying in a report Tuesday, adding that the four are recovering at a local hospital.

A U.S. State Department spokesman said Tuesday that the department was aware of reports of the incident, was monitoring the situation and “could not provide further comment at this time.”

The motive for the attack is unclear. Videos and photos circulating on social media showed four injured foreigners lying on the ground while police officers and passersby stood nearby.

In China, where social media platforms are strictly censored, almost all images and discussions about the incident have now been removed.

The park where the stabbing allegedly took place is one kilometer from government buildings. An officer at the nearest police station said on Tuesday he had “no comment” when asked about the incident.

Hu Xijin, the outspoken former editor-in-chief of the nationalist Global Times newspaper, said on social media platform X that he “condemns” the attack.

“Regardless of the attacker’s motive, this incident is an isolated case in the larger context of Chinese society,” he said, adding that the “general public attitude toward foreign tourists in marketplaces and tourist attractions (in China) is friendly.”

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Four US university professors stabbed to death in a park in Jilin, China

Four US university professors stabbed to death in a park in Jilin, China

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said in a post on X that she was in contact with Iowa’s federal delegation and the U.S. State Department “in response to this horrific attack.”

Also speaking to X, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks of Iowa said: “We are using the appropriate channels and requesting that we speak to the U.S. Embassy on appropriate matters to ensure that victims first receive quality care for their injuries and then are able to leave China in a medically feasible manner.”

According to the Cornell College website, a partnership with Beihua University has existed since 2018. As part of the agreement, Beihua funds a two-week teaching stay in China by Cornell professors, who teach computer science, mathematics and physics, among other subjects.

The incident came amid efforts by Beijing and Washington to ease tensions in their technological and ideological competition through cultural exchanges.

In November, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China was ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to the country for exchange and study visits over the next five years.

The overtures followed an agreement between Xi and US President Joe Biden to promote expanded exchanges in education, students, youth, culture, sports and business, reached during their summit in California last year.