Four US university tutors are hospitalized after being stabbed by an unknown assailant in a public park in China. The instructors from Iowa’s Cornell College were injured during a daytime visit to the park in Jilin province, according to a college statement.
Iowa Representative Adam Zabner confirmed that his brother, David, was one of the victims. David was stabbed in the arm at Beishan Park in Jilin city and is recovering in the hospital. China’s foreign ministry reported that none of the injuries are life-threatening.
The group had been visiting a local temple when they were attacked by a man with a knife. The four instructors were teaching as part of a partnership with a Chinese university and were accompanied by a member of Beihua University at the time of the incident.
China’s foreign ministry stated that the injured were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. However, spokesperson Lin Jian did not confirm whether the assailant was in custody, citing the need for further investigation. Jian emphasized that this was an isolated incident and that China remains one of the safest countries for foreigners.
A US State Department spokesperson acknowledged awareness of the stabbing but provided no additional information. Images circulating online showed at least three people bleeding on the ground, but these were quickly censored on Chinese social media.
Searches for terms like “foreigners Jilin” yielded no results on Weibo, despite the topic trending. Some users discussed the incident under unrelated topics, while others sought more information.
Former Global Times editor Hu Xijin described the incident as a “chance event,” noting the typically friendly attitude of Chinese people toward foreigners. His post has since been removed. Chinese state media have provided limited coverage of the incident.
David Zabner, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was on his second trip to China with Cornell College. Despite tense diplomatic relations, both Beijing and Washington are working to re-establish people-to-people exchanges. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently announced a plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to China over the next five years, while Chinese diplomats have noted that a US State Department travel advisory has discouraged Americans from visiting China.
