Four American teachers brutally stabbed in attack in China

Four visiting college professors from Iowa were brutally stabbed in an attack in China Tuesday morning.

Cornell College educators were participating in a teaching exchange program with a partner university, Beihua, in the city of Jilin.

The group was visiting a temple in Beishan Park when they were attacked by a man armed with a knife. No motive has been reported.

Iowa Rep. Adam Zabner told Reuters his brother was one of the victims at Cornell College in Iowa. The other victims have not yet been publicly identified.

Police launched a manhunt for Cui Dapeng, a resident of Jilin city, whom they identified as a “major suspect” in the attack, according to the Chinese government.

“My brother, David Zabner, was injured in the arm in a knife attack while visiting a temple in the city of Jilin, China,” Zabner said.

“I have spoken to David…he is recovering from his injuries and is doing well. My family is incredibly grateful that David survived this attack.

A video of people lying on the ground in a park covered in blood was circulating on Monday on X, although no trace of these images could be found on Chinese social networks.

Reuters was able to identify the location of the video from Chinese characters written on a wall, the structure of the wall and the layout of the path, but was unable to confirm when the video was filmed.

A spokesperson for the US State Department said in an emailed statement that it was aware of reports of a “stabbing incident” in Jilin, China, and was monitoring the situation.

The Ministry of Public Security's Chinese Foreign NGO Management Office issued an alert on social media platform WeChat confirming the incident, which they said occurred around 11:40 a.m. Monday in Beishan Park.

The notice identified Dapeng as the alleged suspect in the case, with the public security department advising that the file be distributed to all police forces. Authorities encouraged that Dapeng would be arrested if found.

The notice also stated that the victims suffered “varying degrees” of injuries and were taken to hospital. Their condition is not life-threatening, according to the government agency.

No reports of the incident were found in Chinese media. A few remaining posts on Chinese social media platform Weibo questioned the widespread censorship of the incident in official media.

“Do they really think that censoring domestic discussion of the incident has an impact on whether foreigners choose to visit China? » » posted a Weibo user.

Cornell College educators were participating in a teaching exchange program with a partner university, Beihua, in the city of Jilin.

“We are working through the appropriate channels and requesting to speak with the U.S. Embassy on appropriate issues to ensure that victims first receive quality care for their injuries and then leave China in a medically feasible manner,” he said. said Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks. wrote on X.

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged this year to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for study programs aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties, but a Level 3 travel advisory from the State Department addressed the China's warning of possible arbitrary detentions and exit bans remains in effect.

There are currently fewer than 900 American exchange students studying in China, compared to more than 290,000 Chinese students in the United States, according to U.S. data.