Three shocking incidents hit Chinese cities this fall causing many deaths and injuries. In early November a driver crashed into people in Zhuhai (killing thirty-five) while in mid-month Wang Lei went on a stabbing spree at Wuxi college leaving eight dead; then another car hit school-kids in Changde
The first two attacks seem linked to personal problems: the Zhuhai suspect was mad about his divorce settlement; while the Wuxi attacker had money issues. Police caught all suspects but didnt share many details
These events fit into a bigger picture of similar attacks happening across China in 2024. George Magnus from Oxford University says its not random: “These incidents show a pattern‚ not just separate cases“. The slow-down in Chinaʼs economy plays a role — jobs are harder to find and people feel left-behind
Mental health expert Xiaojie Qin points to deeper issues:
- Less economic growth
- Feeling of unfairness
- Lack of ways to deal with stress
- Social pressure getting worse
Beijing tries to help by building more mental health centers but Sami Wong‚ a psycho-therapist says people dont want to use them: “Getting help still has a bad image here; its seen as weakness“
The government keeps tight control of info about these events which makes people nervous. Drew Thompson‚ a Singapore-based expert thinks this might backfire: “When people cant trust what they hear they get more worried“