A 55-year-old Chinese man stabbed four US college instructors, as well as a Chinese tourist who tried to stop him, in a public park in the northeastern city of Jilin Chila.

Real Research, an online survey app, revealed that 65% of the respondents were aware that four US college instructors were stabbed in China, and 35% were unaware.

Highlights:

  • 71.84% of respondents think the incident will likely impact educational exchanges between the US and China.
  • The US State Department’s travel advisory for China is justified, according to 84.6% of respondents.
  • Over two-thirds said their perception of safety in China has been affected.

News and Media Reports

News of the incident was suppressed within China, with media outlets not reporting it. Social Media posts were quickly removed, and a related hashtag was blocked. 53% of respondents think the suppression of news and social media posts regarding this incident in China is justified, while 45% believe otherwise.

Impact on Educational Exchanges Between the US and China

Nearly 72% of respondents (possibly, 47.7% + definitely, 24.14%) believe that the stabbing in China is likely to impact educational exchanges between the two countries. 28% believe otherwise.

Will-this-incident-affect-educational-exchanges-between-the-two-countries
Figure 1: Will this incident affect educational exchanges between the two countries?

The Chinese Foreign Ministry

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that, upon preliminary assessment, police believed the attack in Jilin City’s Beishan Park was an isolated incident and that the investigation is ongoing.

Considering the tension between the US and China, 57% of respondents believe the statement mentioned above is credible, and 43% oppose this belief.

US State Department Travel Advisory

China’s President plans to invite 50,000 young Americans to China to enhance bilateral exchanges, especially among youth. However, a US State Department travel advisory warns Americans about arbitrary detentions and exit bans, urging caution when traveling to mainland China.

In response, nearly 85% of respondents (60% highly justified + 24.6% justified) believe the US State Department’s travel advisory for China is justified, given that four US college

instructors were stabbed in China. Meanwhile, 13% hold a neutral stance, and only 3% find the advisory unjustified (1.6% unjustified + 1% highly unjustified).

Is-the-US-State-Departments-travel-advisory-warning-about-China-justified
Figure 2: Is the US State Department’s travel advisory warning about China justified?

Safety in China

58% of respondents think the media adequately covers safety incidents involving foreigners in China, while 42% oppose this belief.

Survey on Four US College Instructors Stabbed in China

Finally, 68% of respondents said their perception of safety in the country would be affected because four US college instructors were stabbed in China, while 32% do not share this view.

Do-incidents-like-this-affect-your-perception-of-safety-in-China
Figure 3: Do incidents like this affect your perception of safety in China?

Methodology

 
Survey TitleSurvey On Four US College Instructors Stabbed In China
DurationJune 13 – June 22, 2024
Number of Participants5,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia,… Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.