China executed Fan Weiqiu for a car attack that killed 35 people, the deadliest in a decade. A second man, Xu Jiajin, was executed for a stabbing incident killing 8. Both attacks highlight rising public violence driven by personal grievances and broader societal issues, raising concerns over social stability.
China has executed Fan Weiqiu, a 62-year-old man, for a car attack that resulted in the deaths of at least 35 individuals in November, marking it as potentially the deadliest incident of violence in the country over the last decade. The assault took place in the southern city of Zhuhai, where Fan drove his vehicle into a crowd exercising near a stadium and subsequently injured numerous others. He was held at the scene with self-inflicted wounds and was later convicted of “endangering public safety” by the Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court, which condemned his motives as “extremely vile” and his methods as “particularly cruel.”
Additionally, a second perpetrator, Xu Jiajin, aged 21, was executed for a separate attack, which involved a stabbing spree that killed eight people at his university in Wuxi. Authorities noted that Fan acted out of dissatisfaction stemming from his divorce, while Xu committed his crime following poor academic performance that led to his failure to obtain a diploma. Both men received rapid convictions, with Fan sentenced to death on December 17 and executed shortly thereafter.
Human rights organizations argue that China is the world’s foremost executor, with thousands of executions occurring annually; however, the specifics of these cases, including numbers and details, are often undisclosed by the government. The nation is currently experiencing an escalation in public violence, attributed to individuals seeking revenge related to personal grievances. Analysts have voiced concern regarding the relationship between societal stressors, attributed in part to economic stagnation, and the rise in violent crimes. The number of similar attacks was reported to have reached 19 during 2024, further exemplifying growing public safety concerns.
Following the Zhuhai and Wuxi incidents, another attack occurred when a man deliberately drove into a crowd of children and parents outside a primary school in Changde city, resulting in 30 injuries. The attacker, Huang Wen, cited anger from financial losses and family issues as motives for his actions. He has been given a suspended death sentence that could be converted to life imprisonment should he refrain from further offenses within the next two years. Experts, including economist George Magnus, emphasize the rising tensions within Chinese society and question the potential for deterioration in public welfare.
The execution of Fan Weiqiu and Xu Jiajin highlights the severity of public violence in China, driven by personal grievances. With rising trends in violent attacks and multiple fatalities, authorities continue to grapple with the implications of societal stressors, including economic conditions. As incidents increase, the implications for social stability and public safety remain a pressing concern for the nation and its leadership.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
