US Cornell College instructors injured in China assault, school says

Four American university professors are hospitalized after being stabbed by an unknown assailant in a public park in China.

Iowa Cornell College instructors were injured in a “serious incident” during a daytime park visit in northern China's Jilin province, according to a university statement.

Iowa Rep. Adam Zabner said his brother, David, was one of four injured in the incident, which he described as a stabbing.

He said the group was visiting a local temple on Monday when they were attacked by a man armed with a knife.

Mr Zabner said his brother was stabbed in the arm at Beishan Park and was recovering in hospital.

“He hasn't been released yet this morning but he's doing well,” he told CBS News.

A spokesperson for the US State Department told the BBC it was aware of reports of a stabbing incident in Jilin but could not provide further information.

Cornell College said the four instructors were teaching “through a partnership with a university in China.” The group was accompanied by a member of Beihua University when they visited the park on Monday.

Chinese authorities have yet to respond to the incident, but images of the aftermath were quickly shared on social media.

Images circulating appear to show at least three people bleeding and lying on the ground.

However, the incident appears to have been quickly censored on the Chinese internet.

On Tuesday, searches for terms such as “Jilin foreigners” produced no results despite the search term trending on Weibo.

Netizens instead resorted to discussions on adjacent topics, while some also asked for more information about the incident.

There is also little reporting on the incident in Chinese state media.

Mr. Zabner said his brother, a doctoral student at Tufts University, had previously visited China and was on his second trip to the country with Cornell College.

In a context of tense diplomatic relations, Beijing and Washington have recently sought to restore exchanges between people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has unveiled a plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to China over the next five years, while Chinese diplomats say a travel advisory issued by the US State Department has discouraged Americans from go to China.