Foreign Ministry says stabbing was 'isolated incident'

China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that an attack that injured three people, including two Japanese citizens in Suzhou, was an isolated incident and their life were not in danger.

The police in Suzhou, Jiangsu province said in a statement on Tuesday that the knife attack took place on Monday afternoon, and the suspect was a 52-year-old unemployed man who was apprehended on the spot by police officers and has now been criminally detained.

The police said the injured individuals were immediately taken to a hospital for medical treatment. A Chinese national who tried to stop the crime was seriously injured and is still undergoing treatment.

One Japanese national is receiving treatment and not in critical condition, while the other was discharged on Monday, the statement said.

The investigation is still underway, it added.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Tuesday expressed regret over the occurrence of such an incident at a daily news briefing.

While emphasizing that similar isolated incidents can happen in any country worldwide, Mao said China will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of foreign nationals in China, just like the way it protects Chinese residents.