Knife attack injures 3, including 2 Japanese citizens

The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that an attack that injured three people, including two Japanese citizens, was an isolated incident and their lives were not in danger.

Police in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, said 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 been detained pending criminal charges.

Police said the injured 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 is not in critical condition, while the other was discharged on Monday, police said.

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

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 as it protects Chinese residents.