Amidst a surge of aggression in Chinese society, two indiscriminate stabbing incidents occurred within one day on July 4th. Over the past two months, there have been at least more than 40 cases of knife attacks.
On July 4th, an indiscriminate stabbing incident took place near a middle school in Youma Town, Guiping City, Guangxi Province. A video circulating on social media platform X showed at least 4 people bleeding from head injuries, with one person lying down and not getting up. Among the injured were at least two minors.
Following the incident, local police immediately threatened villagers who forwarded the video. A circulated police notice to “everyone” warned the villagers not to disseminate any unverified videos, claiming that the current video content is not factual and that law enforcement is tracking down those who forward it.
As of the time of writing, the police have not made any announcements regarding the whereabouts of the perpetrator.
Another indiscriminate stabbing incident occurred on the same day in a residential area on Xinghua South Street, Tiexi District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. A video circulating on X platform showed a bald man in a gray shirt and shorts, holding a cigarette in his left hand and a large curved knife in his right hand, calmly attacking residents in the community before leaving. Several people were left lying in pools of blood.
The Shenyang Tiexi Branch of the Public Security Bureau reported that the man surnamed Wang had been apprehended. The stabbing incident resulted in 3 deaths and 1 injury. The notification did not specify the motives of the man, but mentioned that he “has a history of mental illness.”
The phrase “has a history of mental illness” is a common rhetoric used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities in such heinous cases, which some netizens find hard to believe, considering it as an official attempt to divert attention.
A netizen named “Women’s Era” commented that a history of mental illness serves as a “universal shield” for the CCP in responding to such malignant events. From school bullying to indiscriminate violence, from bus arson to family annihilation, as long as the perpetrator is labeled with “mental illness,” it seems that all crimes can be forgiven, and all responsibilities can be shifted away.
“Women’s Era” further stated that in a society permeated with anxiety, fear, and despair, and where power conceals individual suffering under grand narratives like “patriotism” and “stability,” everyone can potentially become a victim of mental breakdown, everyone can become a “mentally ill person” wielding a butcher’s knife.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly claimed, “China is the safest country in the world.” However, in reality, Chinese society is rife with aggression, and malicious cases are rampant.
According to netizens who compiled information from social media, from May 7th to July 4th, there have been over 40 cases of knife attacks in China, resulting in at least 55 deaths and 48 injuries. Additionally, there have been other types of homicide cases.
Even small incidents like sweeping water can escalate into serious events. In a viral video, a man in white inadvertently splashed water on others while sweeping, leading to a physical altercation that escalated into a confrontation involving family members.
In a recent commentary article by Chen Weijian, the chief editor of “Beijing Spring” magazine and a political commentator, he questioned why there is a frequent occurrence of malignant incidents in China. He attributed this to the lack of moral political leadership in Chinese society, declining economy making life difficult to sustain, leading to marginalized individuals with psychological issues. These individuals, feeling hopeless and neglected by society, either resort to suicide or seek revenge against the society.
Throughout Chinese history, many people who faced despair resorted to uprising against the authorities, whereas today, individuals facing hopelessness tend to target innocent civilians, signifying a significant shift. Chen Weijian argued that after generations of CCP’s oppression and brainwashing, the society no longer upholds the value of “justice.” Those with a sense of decency and justice have been suppressed by the CCP since the “anti-rightist” movement, leading to a lack of moral guidance in society, allowing hostility to steer towards the wrong direction. Thus, the recent vicious societal retaliations are a result of the CCP silencing intellectuals with a sense of justice.
However, there are rare instances where victims of bullying who retaliate through violence receive sympathy from the public.
On June 18th, a gruesome family annihilation incident occurred in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, where a villager named Niu Debiao and his family of five were brutally murdered, shocking the nation. The perpetrator, Huo Wenchang, was captured after being on the run for 10 days.
In a report by Chinese media, around 50% of netizens explicitly supported Huo Wenchang, while about 40% expressed sympathy and sorrow for him. Many self-media accounts have also written in support of Huo Wenchang.
Huo Wenchang was described as an honest villager from a humble background, leading a simple life without marrying at the age of 43, known for his filial piety. On the other hand, Niu Debiao, the victim, was a local bully.
It was revealed that ten years ago, Huo Wenchang had rented his land to Niu’s family but never received any rent. In desperation, he took Niu Debiao to court and won the case, but Niu Debiao refused to comply with the court’s ruling and even tied Huo Wenchang up and put him in a coffin for a day and a night.
About a month prior, power lines were erected on Huo Wenchang’s land by the local power company, offering a compensation of 1500 yuan (roughly $206) per pole. However, Niu Debiao also seized this compensation, claiming the land was his.
Unable to tolerate further injustice, around 3 am on June 18th, Huo Wenchang entered Niu Debiao’s home and brutally murdered him, his parents, uncle, and aunt, leaving his wife unharmed, as she had shown sympathy towards him when he was mistreated in the past.