BEIJING (AFP) — Four American college instructors working in China were wounded in a stabbing at a public park, their employer said, with Beijing Tuesday describing it as an “isolated” incident.

The four were on an academic exchange and worked as instructors at Iowa’s Cornell College, which said they were wounded in a “serious incident.”

“The suspect, named Mr. Cui, was arrested the same day” as the attack in Jilin on Monday, a statement from local police said, adding the man was 55 years old.

“All the wounded were sent to the hospital... and received proper treatment; none of them are in danger of losing their life,” spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters at the foreign ministry’s regular afternoon press conference.

“The police preliminarily judged that the case was isolated. Further investigation is under way.”

“China is generally recognized as one of the safest countries in the world,” Lin added.

“China... will continue to take relevant measures to effectively protect the safety of all foreigners in China.”

“This isolated case will not affect the normal development of China-US people-to-people exchanges,” he said.

Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson said on X she was “horrified” that the Cornell College faculty members had been “brutally stabbed.”

Governor Kim Reynolds said she was “in touch with Iowa’s federal delegation and the state department in response to this horrifying attack.”

“Please pray for their full recovery, safe return, and their families here at home,” she added.

A US State Department spokesperson said they were “aware of reports of a stabbing incident in Jilin, People’s Republic of China.”