China's Supreme Court Report: Increase in "One-Person, Multiple-Killings" Cases Last Year

Citizens lay flowers in remembrance after a deliberate vehicular attack in Zhuhai Sports Center, Guangdong. (Photo: Screenshot from online video) 

People News - Zhang Jun, the President of China’s Supreme People’s Court, delivered a work report at the National People's Congress on Saturday (March 8), highlighting a significant increase in "one-person, multiple-killings" cases in 2024.

According to Voice of America (VOA), the past year saw multiple deadly attacks in China resembling "Xianzhong-style" assaults, triggering widespread public fear. Particularly towards the end of 2024, China experienced at least three major public attacks within just ten days, resulting in at least 43 deaths and over 60 injuries.

On the evening of November 11, 62-year-old Fan Weiqiu drove his car into citizens exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Center in Guangdong Province, killing 35 people and injuring 43 others. On November 16, at a school in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 21-year-old Xu Jiajin carried out a knife attack, leaving 8 dead and 17 injured. On November 19, another vehicular attack occurred outside an elementary school in Changde, Hunan Province.

Similar incidents have been reported across China, including in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jilin, and Hunan. Victims included not only Chinese citizens but also individuals of Japanese and American nationality.

Zhang Jun acknowledged the sharp rise in "one-person, multiple-killings" cases in his report, emphasizing that the sudden surge of extreme violent crimes has severely impacted public security and social moral standards.

During a symposium on Thursday, Wang Xinxiang, Director of the International Relations Center at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, stated that Beijing is paying close attention to the public's reaction to such attacks, as they could escalate into national security concerns. "Social issues could potentially trigger collective public action, which may then escalate into a national security issue," he explained.

Additionally, the Supreme People's Court report revealed that in 2024, there were 30,000 cases of corruption and bribery involving 33,000 individuals—an annual increase of 22.3% in case numbers. The court also concluded 2,473 cases of bribery involving 2,873 individuals, an 18.6% increase from the previous year.

The report specifically highlighted corruption cases in China's football industry. In March 2024, former Chinese Football Association President Chen Xuyuan was sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery, with lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal assets. In December 2024, former Chinese national men’s football team head coach Li Tie was sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery and corruption.