Four American educators from a small Iowa university were reportedly stabbed in a public park in northeast China’s Jilin province over the weekend, according to U.S. media and U.S. government officials.

What Happened: The educators from Cornell College were visiting a partner university in China when the attack occurred, reported Reuters on Tuesday. The incident took place in Jilin City, and the partner university was Beihua University, according to College spokesperson Jen Visser.

“We are working through proper channels and requesting to speak with the U.S. Embassy on appropriate matters to ensure that the victims first receive quality care for their injuries and then get out of China in a medically feasible manner,” Iowa’s Congress representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks wrote on X.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds also commented on the “horrifying” attack, stating that she was in touch with the U.S. State Department.

The U.S. State Department is aware of the reports of the stabbing incident in China and is monitoring the situation, according to Visser. There have been no statements on the incident from Chinese authorities or reports in Chinese media.

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Why It Matters: The attack on the American educators comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China. The U.S. has been critical of China’s actions, including warnings of sanctions for Chinese entities assisting Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.

Moreover, China has urged the U.S. to reconsider its nuclear stance, following comments from a senior U.S. official about potentially increasing warheads to counter the growing nuclear capabilities of China, Russia, and North Korea.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote