Four American educators from a small university in Iowa were injured in a stabbing attack that occurred in a public park in northeast China's Jilin province on Monday, as reported by U.S. media and government officials. Iowa Representative Adam Zabner revealed that his sibling, David Zabner, was one among the victims. The group had been visiting a temple in Beishan Park when they were attacked by a man wielding a knife. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and there have been no statements issued by Chinese authorities or reports in Chinese media regarding the incident.
A video circulating on X on Monday showed individuals lying on the ground in a park, covered in blood, though this footage could not be found on Chinese social media platforms. Reuters was able to identify the location based on Chinese characters and other visual cues but could not confirm when the video was recorded. Adam Zabner stated that his brother is recovering from his injuries and that the family is grateful for his survival.
The educators from Cornell College were visiting a partner university, Beihua, in Jilin City at the time of the attack. Iowa's Congress representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks stated that efforts are underway to ensure that the victims receive quality care for their injuries and can safely leave China. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds voiced her concern regarding the "horrifying" incident and that she was talking to the US State Department about it.
A college spokesperson confirmed that the US State Department had been informed of the stabbing incident in China and is closely monitoring the situation. Despite China's President Xi Jinping's pledge to invite 50,000 young Americans to study programs to strengthen people-to-people ties, a Level 3 travel advisory for China remains in place, warning of possible arbitrary detention and exit bans. Currently, there are fewer than 900 American exchange students studying in China, in contrast to over 290,000 Chinese students in the United States, according to U.S. data.
