White House ‘Deeply Concerned’ by Stabbing of 4 Americans in China

Police in China arrested a man suspected of stabbing four instructors from Cornell College, Iowa.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House on April 24, 2024. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The White House on Tuesday said it’s “deeply concerned” about the stabbing of four Americans in China.

“We are deeply concerned by the stabbing of U.S. citizens in Jilin City, China. Our team has been in touch with these Americans and our PRC counterparts to ensure that the victims’ needs are met, & appropriate law enforcement steps are being taken,” U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a social media statement, using the acronym of China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China. “We wish them a speedy recovery.”

The incident took place on Monday. According to a statement by Chinese police, a Chinese man “collided” with a foreigner while walking in Beishan Park in the northeastern city of Jilin. He then allegedly stabbed that foreigner and three other fellow foreigners with a knife. A Chinese tourist who tried to stop the attack was also injured.

Local police said the suspect, a 55-year-old male surnamed Cui, was arrested on Monday.

No details of his motives were provided.

A Chinese foreign ministry official said the investigation is underway. “Preliminary police assessment shows it is an isolated incident,” Lin Jian, the ministry’s spokesperson, told reporters at a regular briefing on Tuesday.

The four injured men, from Iowa’s Cornell College, are teaching at Beihua University in Jilin City, Jilin Province.

Three of the four victims are U.S. citizens, while another is a noncitizen resident of Iowa, according to Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China.

He said he is “angered and deeply troubled” over the stabbing.

A U.S. Consular officer “visited the 4 in Jilin Hospital today where they are receiving treatment,” Mr. Burns said in a Tuesday statement on X. “We are doing all we can to help them & hope for their full recovery.”

Iowa state Rep. Adam Zabner said his brother, David Zabner, was among those injured.

“David is a PhD student at Tufts University and was in China as part of a relationship between Cornell College in Mount Vernon, lowa, and Beihua University in Jilin City,” Mr. Zabner said in a statement on Monday. “I spoke to David a few minutes ago, he is recovering from his injuries and doing well.”

Footage and photos of the incident were widely circulated on social media platform X on Monday but were absent from their Chinese counterpart, Weibo, over which the regime maintains tight control. As of Tuesday, media outlets in China only reposted the official statement regarding the incident.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds introduces Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a campaign event ahead of the 2024 Iowa caucuses in Ankeny, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said in an online statement Monday that she was “in touch with” the state’s federal delegation and the State Department in response to “this horrifying attack.”

Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) said that her team was in communication with Cornell College and “will do everything in our power to bring these Iowans home safely. Join me in praying for their health & safety,” she said in a Monday statement on X.

The incident occurred as the Chinese regime and the United States are seeking to boost people-to-people exchanges amidst increasing bilateral tensions over trade, technology, and human rights issues.

The Chinese Communist Party leader has announced a goal of attracting 50,000 young Americans to pursue their studies in China within the next five years. During a visit to Beijing in April, Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the significant imbalance in student exchange between the two countries, with fewer than 900 U.S. students currently studying in China, contrasted with more than 290,000 Chinese students enrolled in educational institutions across the United States.

The State Department currently advises Americans to reconsider traveling to mainland China due to the “arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions.”