Suzhou Japanese School Attack: China Releases Footage of Heroic Guard Hu Youping

Chinese authorities continue to insist that the attacks on Japanese schools in Suzhou and Shenzhen in June and September 2024, respectively, were 'isolated incidents.' In contrast, the Chinese government has repeatedly emphasized the 'extremely egregious nature and impact' of the incident on March 24 this year, where a Japanese Self-Defense Forces official brandished a knife at the Chinese Embassy in Japan, claiming that right-wing ideology in Japan is profoundly affecting Sino-Japanese relations.

The report mentions that footage released by the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC shows Hu Youping severely wounded and collapsed, being urgently treated by arriving medical personnel. The on-screen text describes, 'When the sharp knife was wielded towards innocent children, Hu Youping, with her small body, held the assailant tightly from behind,' and states that she 'used her life to build an unbreakable safety barrier for more than twenty children.'

On the afternoon of June 24, 2024, Zhou Jiasheng, an unemployed man from Anhui residing in Suzhou, attacked a Japanese mother and child waiting for a school bus near the Suzhou Japanese School with a knife, injuring them. He then boarded the bus and continued his assault, fatally stabbing Hu Youping, who bravely intervened. The incident shocked both Chinese and Japanese societies. Zhou was subsequently arrested, sentenced to death by a court on January 23, 2025, and executed in April of the same year.

After Hu Youping's death, Japanese expatriates in China and some Chinese citizens expressed their condolences, with some Japanese expatriates intending to donate to her family. However, her family later issued a statement, saying they 'do not accept donations of money or goods, and hope not to be disturbed further, wishing only for the deceased to rest in peace and for the family to return to a peaceful life as soon as possible.'

As for the authorities, shortly after the incident, the Suzhou City 'Courageous Act Title Evaluation Working Group' proposed on June 27, 2024, that the Suzhou City Government posthumously award Hu Youping the title of 'Suzhou City Model for Courageous Acts,' which was officially granted on July 2 of the same year.

On July 21, 2025, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC awarded Hu Youping the title of 'National Hero for Courageous Acts' at the 15th 'National Commendation Conference for Heroes and Models of Courageous Acts.' (Edited by Qiu Guojiang/Chen Yan-jun) 1150406