When Will China Use Force to Reunite with Taiwan? Hu Xijin Explains His Position
A Citizen Diplomacy Crisis? A Look into the Stabbing Incident in Northeast China
Last week, four American college instructors from Iowa were stabbed by a 55-year-old Chinese man while walking through a park in Jilin, a province in Northeast China. All four Americans as well as a Chinese tourist were injured in the attack, and were sent to the hospital, though none of the victims were in critical conditions. The attacker, known only by Cui, was arrested by the authorities promptly.
How Did U.S. Lawmakers Respond?
Shortly after the incident, both local and federal officials from the U.S. recognized and publicly commented on the incident. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Advisor, tweeted that he was “deeply concerned” by the attack. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. Ambassador to China, used sharper language in his comments, stating that he was “angered and deeply troubled” by the incident. Two days after the attack occurred, Burns revealed that the U.S. Consul General of the region, Sara Yun, had visited the victims in the hospital, and that Burns had spoken with each victim on the phone. At this moment, the State Department is still actively working to bring the American victims back to the U.S.
The incident also received strong reactions from Iowans. One of the victims, David Zabner, is the brother of Adam Zabner, an Iowa State Representative. The representative told the BBC that “my family is incredibly grateful that David survived this attack.” Furthermore, both Kim Reynolds, the governor of Iowa and the former U.S. ambassador to China, as well as Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks, a U.S. representative of Iowa, have commented on the incident on X, affirming that they are working with the State Department to ensure that the victims receive quality medical care and return safely to America. Reynolds, in particular, described the attack as “horrifying,” and asked her followers on X to pray for the victims’ recovery.
A Rattled Friendship
While the acute response by Iowa lawmakers after the incident in Jilin is expected, it still represents a break from previously friendly ties with China. Iowans are known for being “old friends” with Xi Jinping, a title the Chinese leader never bestowed upon any other U.S. states. In 1985, a young Xi traveled to Iowa as a part of a Chinese agricultural delegation, and was received warmly by the locals. Since Xi rose to power, he has maintained robust relations with Iowa, through initiating dialogues with Iowa farmers, to even becoming “pen pals” with the woman, Sara Lande, who hosted him decades earlier. Even earlier this year, despite surging tensions between Washington and Beijing, Xi invited local Iowa high school students to visit China.
Iowa lawmakers’ attitude towards last week’s stabbing demonstrates that Xi’s relationship with Iowa could potentially be weakened. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether this incident will push Iowa to economically distance itself from the Chinese leader. In the past decade, China and Iowa have strengthened economic ties. For example, in 2013, the soybean industry in Iowa signed a contract with Beijing to sell $100 million worth of the crop to China; by 2018, one in every four rows of soybean grown in the U.S. was exported to China. It is also uncertain whether Xi will continue to advocate for friendship between China and Iowa, and whether Iowa will respond positively to this tactic. Either way, this incident disrupted a harmonious relationship which miraculously thrived in the midst of U.S.-China competition.
How Did China React?
On the Chinese side, discussions about the incident have been notably restrained, likely due to the swift and extensive censorship of information. On the same day the incident occurred, major media outlets such as People’s Daily and Xinhua were conspicuously silent on the matter.
It was only the next day, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China officially responded to the event, that some private media outlets began to report on it. When asked whether the incident was isolated, targeted, or random, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the local police had initially determined it to be an isolated incident and were conducting further investigations. He also emphasized that “China is widely recognized as one of the safest countries in the world.”
Among the governmental media that reported on the incident was the Chuanying Branch of the Jilin City Public Security Bureau, which published a notice on their WeChat account about the incident, without making any inferences about the attacker’s motives. While the Jilin City Public Security Bureau reposted the notice, no report on the incident could be found on its homepage. The notice is as follows:
On June 10th at 11:49 AM, our sub-bureau received a dispatch order from the Municipal Public Security Bureau 110 Command Center, reporting an injury incident at Beishan Park in Chuanying District, Jilin City. Police officers from the local police station quickly arrived at the scene, rushed the injured for medical treatment, and swiftly apprehended the suspect. The investigation revealed that Cui (male, 55 years old, resident of Longtan District, Jilin City) collided with a foreign individual while walking in Beishan Park. Cui then used a knife to stab this foreign individual and three accompanying foreign individuals, as well as a Chinese tourist who attempted to intervene. The suspect, Cui, was apprehended on the same day. It was understood that the four foreign individuals are from Cornell College in Iowa, USA, and were invited to teach at Beihua University.
Currently, all the injured have received proper medical treatment and are not in stable conditions. Further investigation and related work are ongoing.
Chuanying Branch of Jilin City Public Security Bureau
June 11th, 2024
The Global Times, known for its nationalistic proclivity, was the only state-run media outlet to cover the news. However, it merely cited the comments from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China without adding any of its own remarks – a step also taken by major private media outlets such as Sina and Sohu. It also appears that many non-governmental commentaries on this issue were censored by those private media outlets. For example, a blog “American Teachers Stabbed in Jilin – Will This Affect Inbound Tourism?” (美国教师在吉林被刺伤，会影响入境游吗?) shows up in Google search results but is no longer accessible on Sohu.
Mixed Public Attitudes
Nevertheless, NetEase News published a blog titled “After Four Americans Were Stabbed in Jilin, See How Hate Education Bears Fruit” (4名美国人在吉林遇刺之后，看仇恨教育如何开花结果), lamenting the rise of so-called patriotic education in China in recent years, which has fostered a culture of “hate education” towards foreign nations. The incident in Jilin was cited as an example of this phenomenon. Given the current political climate in China, articles like this are often deemed “politically incorrect” and face formidable obstacles to stay “alive.”
NetEase, often hailed as “the most conscientious media outlet in China,” is known for its tendency to publish liberal-oriented content. Its account has been banned several times on the popular video-sharing website Bilibili in China for posting content perceived as innuendo about the issues faced by Chinese society – a form of “negative energy” against the core values promoted by the Chinese government. The most recent banning of its account occurred around the beginning of this year, soon after NetEase shared a documentary short film titled “30 Years of Laboring Like This,” which highlights the impoverished living conditions of lower-class Chinese laborers.
The liberal values promoted by NetEase partly elucidate why the most popular comments on this blog also echo liberal values, albeit often expressed in a subtle or sarcastic manner. For example, a comment endorsing the main argument of the blog states, “Fortunately, there are quite a few clear-headed people.” garnering over three thousand likes and only thirteen dislikes.
In comparison, the comment section of the video reporting on the incident by Global Times on Bilibili is rife with innuendos. For instance, one comment reads: “It was an act of self-defense, and we urge visitors to China to comply with laws and regulations.” – employing classic sarcasm with obviously paradoxical claims typical of today’s Chinese internet culture.
Nevertheless, a comment with over four hundred likes in the comment section of Global Times expresses a more genuine nationalistic sentiment: “If these foreigners were arrogant and deliberately provocative, they should be severely punished as well. The harmony in China has led some foreigners to behave arrogantly here, but such behavior should not be tolerated.” While some responses echo this nationalist sentiment, the majority challenge its assertions.
Scholars’ Call for Cooling Down the Debate
Compared to mixed attitudes exhibited by netizens, Chinese scholars have taken a more neutral stance towards the incident, primarily arguing that it should not derail the recent thaw in bilateral relations between the two nations. Professor Wu Xinbo of Fudan University stated, “This is an isolated case, not necessarily targeting US citizens. Attacks on foreigners are rare in China and should not impede cultural and educational exchanges between our two countries.”
Professor Wei Zongyou from the Center for American Studies at Fudan University echoed Professor Wu’s perspective, stating, “This was a sudden and unexpected incident, not typical, and it cannot be used to conclude that Chinese people hate Americans. In a WeChat group of 500 scholars of international relations, opinions were shared on the matter. Almost unanimously, they condemned the incident, asserting that it does not reflect the attitude of ordinary Chinese people towards Americans. The vast majority of ordinary people still hold a favorable view of Americans, and there is absolutely no sentiment of hatred towards America.”
Implications for U.S.-China Relations
The incident holds broader implications. First, the Chinese authorities responded swiftly, ensuring all injured Americans received prompt medical treatment, showcasing China’s efficient state capacity in handling social emergencies. Secondly, while China’s official response was quick, the government could consider relaxing censorship on Chinese citizens and private media outlets reporting on such incidents. Greater information transparency would foster constructive dialogue between the U.S. and China at both official and civil levels.
Third, American officials, such as the U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, could have conveyed their concerns about the incident in a more diplomatic manner. Expressing overt emotions of anger without sufficient evidence could potentially exacerbate miscommunication and misunderstandings between the two countries. After all, Chinese officials typically refrain from explicitly expressing anger when Chinese citizens are harmed or killed in the United States.
While it may take time for all the facts related to the stabbing to come out, both sides should refrain from rushing to quick judgement and continue the dialogue to expand bilateral people-to-people exchange. It will be sad for some Americans to use this incident to heighten anti-China hatred and the Chinese government to punish the perpetrator without due process.
