White House 'deeply concerned' by stabbings of American citizens in China

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House said Tuesday it is "deeply concerned" by stabbings of at least four American educators in a northeastern Chinese city.

"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," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on X, using an acronym to refer to China. "We wish them a speedy recovery."

The attack was reported on Monday in the city of Jilin in the province of the same name. The instructors from Cornell College, in the US state of Iowa, were working at China's Beihua University. The universities have shared a cooperative agreement since 2018.

Jilin police said they detained a 55-year-old suspect “who collided with a foreign national while walking in Beishan Park,” Chinese state media reported.

The suspect then “attacked this foreign national and three other accompanying foreign nationals with a knife, as well as a Chinese tourist who attempted to stop him,” police said.

Footage from the incident site showed the four instructors bleeding and lying on the ground.

China’s Foreign Ministry said the incident “would not affect normal cultural exchanges between China and the US.”