China's rush to control information about stabbing Americans hints at sensitivities

HONG KONG — An apparent first effort by Chinese authorities to silence reports of the killing of four American instructors on their soil earlier this week highlights concerns about fragile ties with the United States, experts said .

Four foreign nationals were attacked around noon on Monday in a park in the northeastern city of Jilin. They were later identified as instructors from Cornell College in Iowa State who teach at a local university, according to a notice released Tuesday afternoon by local police.