On Monday, June 10, four teachers from a private liberal arts college in Iowa, United States, were attacked in a park in Jilin Province, China. All four were stabbed and taken to the hospital, with three of them being American citizens. On Tuesday, the White House responded to the attack. The U.S. State Department stated that the American citizens would return home after being discharged from the hospital.
This vicious incident occurred as Beijing was trying to repair relations with the United States and revive the tourism industry. The four victims were from Cornell College in Iowa; apart from the three American citizens, the fourth individual was a non-American citizen residing in Iowa.
On Tuesday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan from the White House expressed deep concern about the stabbing of American citizens in Jilin City, Jilin Province. He mentioned that their team had been in contact with the victims and their Chinese counterparts to ensure the victims’ needs were met and appropriate law enforcement measures were taken.
He wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Representative Ashley Hinson, who represents Iowa’s 2nd congressional district, also expressed shock on social media about the brutal stabbings of multiple faculty members from Cornell College in China.
“My team has been in contact with Cornell College and will make every effort to safely bring these Iowans home. Join me in praying for their health and safety,” she said.
A video circulating on social media showed a woman and two men lying on the ground in Beishan Park in Jilin City, one of the men covered in blood, with several ancient temples in the park.
The Chinese authorities announced on Tuesday that a suspect had been arrested, and the injured were receiving treatment without any life-threatening conditions.
Cornell College President Jonathan Brand confirmed in a statement on Monday that the four teachers were injured in a “serious incident” while visiting the park during the day.
Accompanying these Americans was a faculty member from Beihua University, Cornell College’s partner institution in China.
A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department stated on Monday that they had “learned of the stabbings of three American citizens in Jilin City” and that they were in contact with local authorities, closely monitoring the investigation into the incident.
“The three American citizens are all receiving medical treatment and plan to return to the United States after being discharged,” the spokesperson said.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the attack on Tuesday, after several hours of silence from Chinese authorities and state media following the incident. Discussions about the incident on social media were strictly monitored by the Chinese government.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there was still a post on the Chinese social media platform Zhihu discussing the attack. Some users questioned whether the repeated incitement of anti-foreign and anti-American sentiments by Chinese state media had led to the attack.
“They (foreigners) are criticized every day in the media (Chinese state media), and now something has happened,” wrote a user from Guangdong.
At a time when Beijing is seeking to maintain cultural exchanges to attract more Americans for tourism and study to prevent deteriorating bilateral relations, the incident occurred.
China announced a plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to China in the next five years. Due to concerns of arbitrary detention by China and a potential exit ban preventing Americans from leaving China, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 3 travel advisory (the second-highest warning level) for mainland China, urging Americans to “reconsider travel” there. Some American universities suspended programs in China due to this travel advisory.
The collaboration between Cornell College and Beihua University began in 2018. According to information released in 2018, Beihua University provided funding for professors from Cornell College to travel and live in China for two weeks, teaching computer science, mathematics, and physics.