China faces wave of random attacks as economy shows signs of weakness
Three major violent incidents shocked China this month‚ raising questions about social pressures in the worlds second-largest economy. Experts point to economic slowdown and mental health as key factors behind these events
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“
