Another revenge attack within one week of the car ramming in Zhuhai shocks nation.

By Brenda Goh | Reuters

Summary

November 17: A former student went on a stabbing rampage at a vocational college in eastern China, killing eight people and injuring 17, police said on Sunday, prompting further soul-searching just days after the deadliest attack in the country in a decade.

The incident at Wuxi Vocational College in the city of Wuxi occurred shortly after another mass attack in southern China’s city of Zhuhai, where a man drove into a crowd, killing 35 and injuring 43.

The Wuxi attacker, a 21-year-old former student, expressed anger over not receiving his graduation certificate, as well as dissatisfaction with compensation related to an internship, in addition to anger at the terms of a divorce settlement, police said. The suspect was arrested at the scene.

A series of violent incidents across the country have sparked rare discussions about mental health, economic pressures, and the challenges faced by younger generations in China. Concerns are growing over whether young people today will be worse off than those who benefited from China’s rapid economic growth.

Experts, including Fudan University professor Qu Weiguo, noted that many suspects in these attacks—referred to as “revenge on society” by netizens—share common characteristics: feelings of unfair treatment, mental health issues, and a sense of being unheard.

There is a growing call for improved support systems to prevent such violent outbreaks and to address the underlying causes of dissatisfaction and frustration in the younger population.

In response, Chinese officials have initiated economic stimulus measures and President Xi Jinping called for enhanced risk assessment strategies to identify individuals at risk of violence.

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