Three American citizens were stabbed in China on Monday in what Chinese officials are describing as an “isolated incident.”
The stabbing took place as three Americans alongside a non-citizen resident of Iowa with their group were visiting Beishan Park, a public park in Jilin. The four victims were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment and are expected to recover. They were all associated with Cornell College, a private institution in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.
“I am angered and deeply troubled by the stabbing of 3 US citizens + a non-citizen resident of Iowa in Jilin, China,” said U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns on X. “A US Consular Officer visited the 4 in Jilin Hospital today where they are receiving treatment. We are doing all we can to help them & hope for their full recovery.”
Cornell College President Jonathan Brand said that the school had been in contact with the instructors and had been assisting them after the stabbing. They had been visiting the park with a member of the college’s partner school in China, Beihua University.
Police said they identified the attacker as a 55-year-old with the last name of Cui. No motive has yet been given, but police said there was an argument with the attacker.
“The isolated incident will not disturb the normal cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian.
One of the victims of the attack was David Zabner, a brother of Iowa Democratic Rep. Adam Zabner.
“We’d like to see David home in Iowa as soon as possible,” Zabner told the BBC. “We’re deeply thankful to the State Department and Iowa’s federal delegation and understand that they are working hard to make that happen.”
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Multiple Iowa officials posted online saying that they were watching the situation.
“I am in touch with Iowa’s federal delegation and the state department in response to this horrifying attack,” Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds posted on X. “Please pray for their full recovery, safe return, and their families here at home.”
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he was “deeply concerned” by the stabbings and that he hoped that “appropriate law enforcement steps are being taken.”
Cornell first partnered with Beihua University back in 2018 where Cornell agreed to provide instruction on computers, math, and science, and Beihua would fund for travel of Cornell faculty to China to live and teach a course.
The attack comes amid high tensions between the U.S. and China as American lawmakers have warned about Chinese theft of American economic, military, and intellectual property.
