Frequent Malicious Assault Incidents: Official Reports Fail to Soothe Public Discontent in China

Injuries reported in multiple locations across China (Online Screenshot)

[People News] Since last week, at least three public attacks have occurred in China, resulting in at least 43 deaths and over 60 injuries. Following these incidents, authorities have uniformly implemented strict censorship of discussions related to the attacks, allowing the public to learn about the events solely through official police notices, characterized by "white text on a blue background." This has sparked dissatisfaction among social media users.

"Xianzhong"-Style Attacks Continue to Occur

According to Voice of America, on the evening of November 11, a 62-year-old man in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, drove his car into citizens exercising at a sports center, killing 35 people and injuring 43. On November 16, a stabbing incident occurred at a school in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, leaving 8 dead and 17 injured. On Tuesday, November 19, another car-ramming incident took place outside a primary school in Changde City, Hunan Province, with an unknown number of injuries reported.

Police reports indicate that at least two of the three incidents were motivated by revenge. The Zhuhai suspect acted out of dissatisfaction with the division of property following a divorce. The Wuxi suspect committed the attack due to failing an exam, being unable to obtain a diploma, and dissatisfaction with internship pay, leading him to return to the school to vent his frustration.

On the Chinese internet, such revenge-driven societal attacks are referred to as "Xianzhong" incidents. The term originates from Zhang Xianzhong, a rebel leader in the late Ming dynasty who ruled parts of Sichuan. Historical accounts suggest that Zhang, realizing his impending defeat to Qing forces, began slaughtering his own wives and children.

The 20th-century Chinese writer Lu Xun once wrote, "He (Zhang Xianzhong) clearly felt that the world no longer had anything of his own, so he began destroying the things of others."

Following the November 11 attack in Zhuhai, Google’s public data shows a rise in searches for the term "Xianzhong" over the past few days.

On Reddit’s Chinese-focused subreddit "Liulang Fangqu" (Wandering Defense Zone), the recent attacks have become a topic of heated debate. Users are divided over whether to condemn the attackers.

One user wrote:"We must adequately condemn these brutal acts, but we must also acknowledge that such violence is a response to social injustice. The root of the problem lies in the lack of rule of law and justice in this society."

Another user disagreed, stating that condemnation is futile: "Condemnation is weak and powerless, while tyranny infiltrates every corner. Before your condemnation arrives, the harsh reality has already destroyed the Xianzhong perpetrator's sanity."

Chinese media reports indicate that in the past six months, at least 11 similar public attack incidents have occurred across the country, including in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jilin, and Hunan. The victims and injured include not only Chinese citizens but also Japanese and American nationals.

According to the X account "Li Laoshi Bukan Ni Laoshi" (Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher), which often collects and publishes unreported public incidents in China, nearly 100 public attacks have occurred in the past year. However, Voice of America was unable to independently verify all the incidents listed by "Li Laoshi Bukan Ni Laoshi."

"White Text on Blue Background" Official Reports Fail to Soothe Public Discontent

Discussions surrounding the three recent attacks in China over the past ten days have been subjected to strict censorship on Chinese internet platforms.

On Weibo, a social media platform central to public discourse, multiple trending topics related to these incidents have been blocked.

Testing by Voice of America revealed that searches for terms like "Zhuhai man drives into crowd, killing 35," "Wuxi stabbing leaves 8 dead, 17 injured," and "Hunan school gate vehicle collision injures several students" returned messages such as "Sorry, no related results found" or "Sorry, this topic is not displayed."

The visible search results are limited to official reports and denials of certain rumors, such as claims that there were multiple attackers in Wuxi and that accomplices fled to nearby Nanjing.

Chinese media have not followed up on these incidents with independent reporting. Instead, the public has had to rely solely on official statements characterized by their "white text on a blue background" format. However, these official reports often lack clarity. For example, the police statement from Changde City did not disclose the number of injuries.

In recent years, investigative journalism in China has faced increasing suppression, leaving official statements as both the most authoritative and often the only available source of information on public incidents. Critics argue that this reflects the government's monopoly over public narratives.

"The true meaning of the blue-background, white-text reports is: 'What can you do? What do you want to do? Dare you do anything?'" one Weibo user sarcastically remarked.

Chinese journalist Peng Yuanwen referred to this phenomenon as the "Era of Official Announcements" in an article published earlier this year. He noted that many citizens now instinctively wait for the government's version of events after an incident occurs.

"In the eyes of a considerable portion of the audience, 'official announcements' equate to facts," Peng wrote. "The so-called 'Era of Official Announcements' represents a process in which public authority expands significantly while media recede in tandem."

The recent attacks have not only been excluded from independent reporting by Chinese media but have also faced hurdles for foreign outlets.

Both Reuters and Agence France-Presse reported that their journalists were obstructed by security personnel while covering citizens mourning at the site of the Zhuhai attack.

Similarly, BBC journalist Stephen McDonell encountered harassment while attempting to report on the attacks. In a video released by the BBC, McDonell is interrupted by a Chinese man while speaking on camera. The man obstructs the recording and threatens to call the police. When McDonell inquires about his identity, the man sternly responds, "I am Chinese."

In the past few days, the strict control of narratives by the authorities has faced widespread criticism.

Former Beijing News and Southern Weekly journalist Chu Chaoxin wrote in a WeChat article: "Social stability and peace of mind can never be achieved by creating an information vacuum."

"I urge the relevant authorities to swiftly uncover the truth and release timely updates while allowing the media to conduct in-depth investigations and truthful reporting. This would help ease tensions, lower the pressure, and allow more people to regain their sense of security through access to more information," he added.

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