China Executes Two for Deadly Attacks, Citing "Revenge on Society

China Executes Two Men for Deadly Attacks

China has executed two men who committed deadly attacks in November, raising concerns about a surge in "revenge on society crimes," state media reported on Monday.

Fan Weiqu, 62, was executed for ramming his car into a crowd outside a sports stadium in Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people and injuring 43 others. The attack was the deadliest in China in over a decade and came on the eve of the People's Liberation Army's annual aviation exhibition in the city. Police said Fan was upset over his divorce settlement.

Xu Jiajin, 21, was also executed on Monday for killing eight people and injuring 17 others in a stabbing attack at his vocational school in Wuxi. Police said Xu had failed his examinations, could not graduate, and was dissatisfied with his internship pay.

The death sentences for both men were issued by the intermediate people's courts in Zhuhai and Wuxi in December and approved by the Supreme People's Court.

The killings prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to urge local governments to take measures to prevent such attacks. China has seen a number of attacks in recent years where suspects target random people, including schoolchildren. In October, a 50-year-old man was detained after allegedly attacking children at a school in Beijing with a knife, injuring five. In September, three people were killed in a knife attack at a Shanghai supermarket.

China is believed to execute more prisoners each year than the rest of the world combined, though the precise total is classified as a state secret. Executions are traditionally carried out by gunshot, though lethal injections have also been introduced in recent years.