Four American university instructors hospitalized after stabbing in Chinese public park
Four instructors from Iowa Cornell College were wounded in a “serious incident” during a daytime outing to a park in Jilin province, according to a college statement.
Iowa Representative Adam Zabner confirmed his brother, David, was among those injured in what he described as a stabbing.
The group was visiting a local temple on Monday when they were attacked by a knife-wielding assailant, according to Mr. Zabner, who said his brother was stabbed in the arm at Beishan Park in Jilin city.
“He has not yet been released this morning but he’s doing ok,” Mr. Zabner told CBS News.
A US State Department spokesperson acknowledged reports of the incident in Jilin but could not offer further details.
Cornell College stated that the instructors were teaching “as part of a partnership with a university in China” and were accompanied by a member of Beihua University during their park visit.
Chinese authorities have not commented on the incident, but images circulated on social media depicted at least three people bleeding and lying on the ground.
Despite trending on Weibo, searches for terms like “foreigners Jilin” yielded no results on Tuesday, indicating censorship. Internet users discussed the incident under adjacent topics, seeking more information.
There have been few reports about the incident in Chinese state media.
Amid strained diplomatic relations, Beijing and Washington have aimed to revive people-to-people exchanges. Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a plan to host 50,000 young Americans in China over the next five years, while Chinese diplomats claim that a US State Department travel advisory has deterred Americans from visiting China.
Mr. Zabner mentioned his brother, a Tufts University doctoral student, had previously visited China and was on his second trip to the country with Cornell College.
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