Four instructors from Iowa’s Cornell College were stabbed by an unknown assailant at a public park in China. The incident occurred during a daytime visit to Beishan Park in the northern province of Jilin, where they were teaching at Beihua University.
Cornell College instructors find themselves on the wrong end of a knife in a #Chinese park. Shameful conduct, but sadly, no surprise from a regime known for its disregard for humanity.1/2@GundamNorthrop@HKokbore @NoCCPGenocide pic.twitter.com/gYFSuTeN9x
— Ava Olivia (@AvaOlivia27) June 11, 2024
Social media videos depict a woman and two men, with one of them visibly bloodied, lying on the ground in Beishan Park, located in central Jilin. The park is known for its many temples.
After the unexpected assault, the instructors were promptly taken to a hospital for treatment. Fortunately, their injuries are not life-threatening.
In a statement, Cornell College President Jonathan Brand disclosed that the instructors were accompanied by a faculty member from Beihua University. This collaboration occurred between a private school in Mount Vernon and Beihua University in Jilin City, located in eastern China.
The severity of their injuries and whether the attack was deliberate or random remains uncertain. According to Visser, college officials are currently collecting information about the incident.
“China’s social media is currently flooded with anti-foreigner hate propaganda, and ultra-nationalists tend to attribute everything to foreigners.”
The Chinese government remains inactive in addressing hate, knife attacks, vehicular incidents, and related issues. Consequently, it’s advisable for all countries to issue travel warnings for China.
In response to the incident, Representative Ashley Hinson from Iowa expressed her horror. Her team is actively communicating with Cornell College and is committed to ensuring their safe return.
Another individual responded, suggesting that the surge in nationalism and anti-foreigner animosity likely plays a significant role in the situation.
Iowa Representative Adam Zabner reported that his brother, David, was one of the victims in the China assault. According to him, the four individuals were at a local temple on Monday when an attacker stabbed them with a knife.
The Chinese police confirmed the incident and arrested the suspect. According to the Public Security Bureau of Jilin’s Chuanying district, a 55-year-old man named Cui was apprehended for stabbing four Americans and a Chinese tourist who tried to intervene.
Amid China’s efforts to improve relations with the US and revive tourism, an unprecedented attack on Americans occurred. The incident involved four US college tutors who were brutally assaulted in a Chinese public park. The injured instructors are receiving treatment, and authorities are investigating the motive behind the attack.
Authorities have preliminarily determined that this incident is isolated, and they are conducting further inquiries. Over the past decade, the number of US students studying in China has significantly decreased.
According to US data, approximately 300,000 Chinese students are enrolled in American universities, while fewer than 900 Americans are pursuing education in China.
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