Four tutors from Iowa’s Cornell College have been hospitalised after being stabbed by an unidentified assailant at a public park in China.
The incident occurred during a daytime visit to the park in the northern province of Jilin, according to a statement from the college describing it as a “serious incident.”
Iowa Representative Adam Zabner confirmed that his brother, David, was among the injured, describing the event as a stabbing.
China’s foreign ministry has stated that none of the injured individuals are in critical condition.
According to Mr. Zabner, the group had been visiting a local temple on Monday when they were attacked by a knife-wielding assailant at Beishan Park in Jilin City.
He reported that his brother had sustained a stab wound to the arm and was currently undergoing treatment in the hospital.
“He has not yet been released this morning but he’s doing okay,” he told CBS News.
Cornell College said the four instructors had been teaching “as part of a partnership with a university in China.”.
The group had been accompanied by a member of Beihua University at the time of their visit to the park on Monday.
China’s foreign ministry said that the injured were immediately rushed to a hospital, where they received treatment.
Spokesperson Lin Jian would not answer questions about whether the assailant was in custody, adding that further investigation was needed.
“This was an isolated incident and the investigation continues.
China is widely considered one of the safest countries in the world and China will continue to take relevant measures to ensure that foreigners are safe in the country.
“We believe this will not damage relations with other countries,” he said.
Earlier, a spokesperson from the US State Department informed the BBC that they were aware of reports regarding a stabbing incident in Jilin but were unable to offer further details.
Circulating images suggest that at least three individuals are seen bleeding and lying on the ground. However, the incident seems to have swiftly disappeared from China’s internet, with searches for terms like “foreigners Jilin” yielding no results on Weibo despite the topic trending.
Instead, internet users resorted to discussing adjacent topics and seeking additional information about the event.
Hu Xijin, a former chief editor of China’s Global Times, previously mentioned on Weibo that China has experienced a rise in foreign visitors and that the Chinese people are generally welcoming to them, referring to the incident as an isolated occurrence.
However, his post has since been removed.
Chinese state media have also provided minimal coverage of the incident. Mr. Zabner revealed that his brother, a doctoral student at Tufts University, had previously visited China and was on his second trip with Cornell College.
Despite tense diplomatic relations, efforts have been made by Beijing and Washington to promote people-to-people exchanges.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to China over the next five years, while Chinese diplomats have criticised a US State Department travel advisory discouraging Americans from visiting China.