On November 21, 2024, another stabbing incident occurred at a university in mainland China. Rumors online spread about a stabbing at the dormitory of Zhejiang Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology. A video circulating online showed a wounded person lying in a pool of blood, being carried onto an ambulance with what appeared to be a black cloth covering them. Official reports were not released, but there were rumors of two fatalities. Informants confirmed to Dajiyuan that the incident was true, but the extent of injuries and casualties remained unclear.
According to photos and videos circulating online, the stabbing incident took place around 10 p.m. on the 20th at the dormitory of the School of Information Engineering at Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology. A male student was seen lying on the floor of the dormitory amid bloodstains. Later, an ambulance arrived, and the wounded person was seemingly covered with a black cloth and taken onto the ambulance.
Screenshots shared online revealed that two individuals were fighting in the dormitory, with one of them wielding a knife and inflicting injuries on the other; when neighbors heard the commotion and came over, they were also attacked.
A student from Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology informed Dajiyuan reporters on the morning of November 21 that the incident was indeed real.
“In the building where I live, it was a third-year student who passed away. When they were found, they were already on the ground, and their condition was uncertain. It was said that a conflict in the dormitory escalated and turned violent. The situation of the perpetrator is currently unknown, initially it was rumored that two students were injured, but we will have to wait for official reports for specifics.”
The student stated that the confirmation of the casualties was uncertain, “It was only discovered when someone opened the door from outside, the floor was covered in blood. If it was due to hemorrhagic shock, it’s possible that the window for rescue has been missed, or perhaps not.”
The student mentioned that the incident also sparked fear among classmates, and discussions arose about how to deal with such violence. Currently, classes are proceeding as usual.
As of the time of Dajiyuan’s publication, there was no official report on the incident, and very few related messages were found on Chinese social media platforms. A video allegedly shared by a student from the university mentioned: “I’m grateful to be alive.” However, the video was promptly taken down.
In response, online users expressed dismay, with comments like “This is chaos!”, “Things are going crazy!”, “Every day there seems to be a school stabbing incident!”, “It’s claimed to be the safest country.” “Exaggerated, I feel like in these cases, schools tend to suppress information. Previously at my school, when someone committed suicide, barely any information was disclosed.” “Others’ lives are deemed worthless, and now one’s own life doesn’t seem to have value either. Grassroots are increasingly developing a sense of awareness.” “The chaotic days are just beginning, the good days are yet to come…” “The government provides absolutely no service to the ordinary citizens, and when problems arise, they seem extremely helpless; some people choose a path of no return out of despair.”
Overseas netizens bluntly stated, “Under dictatorship, the judiciary is just a tool of violence and does not uphold fairness, society is only deteriorating, and now it’s facing the consequences, the fruits of evil are everywhere. The only solution is to remove the dictator from power.”
In recent times, Chinese society has seen a rise in violent incidents. Following cases like the Guangdong Zhuhai incident where a vehicle rammed into a crowd and the Jiangsu Wuxi Vocational and Technical College stabbing case, a tragic event occurred on November 19 where a car hit students at the gate of a primary school in Changde, Hunan.
On November 20, Chinese issues expert Wang He, in an interview with Dajiyuan reporters, mentioned that in China, when individual rights are infringed upon, there is a lack of effective social communication and relief channels. The entire society lacks fairness, justice, and mechanisms for regulation, leading individuals to accumulate deep resentment when faced with injustice, viewing society as the root of injustice.
Wang He further stated that in a society with good values and moral atmosphere, individuals often manage to restrain themselves and regulate their emotions when faced with injustice, without resorting to extreme measures. However, due to the systematic destruction of traditional moral systems by the Chinese Communist Party, individuals are more prone to extreme violence tendencies when provoked, directing their anger towards society for retaliation.
The Chinese authorities have ordered for enhanced prevention and control measures against various violent incidents. Rumors online suggested the presence of police guards at multiple elementary and secondary school entrances in Beijing, with special police cars stationed at the entrance of the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. It was even reported that local authorities in Zhuhai have centralized the management of lonely elderly individuals.
Chinese human rights lawyer Teng Biao, expressed to VOA that the social unrest in China stems from decades of accumulated social conflicts, political corruption, deprivation of basic rights of the people, as well as the eruption of social and political contradictions previously concealed by economic development. He criticized the post-violence investigation actions as “treating the symptoms, not the root cause,” by targeting marginalized individuals and victims as the source of conflict.