Chinese Police Praised for Not Killing Man Who Stabbed Frenchman in Shanghai

A French national was allegedly stabbed with a knife near the crossroads of Yongjia Road and Jiashan Road in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The attack comes days after Paris police fatally shot 56-year-old Shaoyo Liu at his home in front of his family, sparking riots that left three officers injured, 35 protesters arrested, and a demand from Beijing to France to protect the Chinese community after Sunday’s shooting.

Police said that they received a report about the stabbing around 1:40 p.m. local time, but by the time officers arrived at the scene, the French man had already rushed himself to the hospital to get treated for a minor cut on his neck.

The attacker fled after the man’s Chinese colleague intervened, RT reported.

On Wednesday night, Shanghai police arrested a 27-year-old man surnamed Mao, who they say suffers from mental illness.

In response to the attack, the Shanghai’s French Consulate warned its citizens in China to remain vigilant.

“Given the situation, the French embassy in China calls on members of the French community to exercise the utmost vigilance,” the statement read. “The embassy and consulates-general are in constant contact with the Chinese authorities to remind that the security of French nationals in China is a priority.”

There is no evidence to suggest that there is a link between the stabbing and the Paris shooting.

According to Shanghaiist, however, it did not stop Chinese netizens from getting into a heated argument:

“If a Chinese person had scratched someone with a blade in France, he would have already been shot dead,” one Weibo user said.

Another commented: “There must have been a reason. At least our police are not like your French police who open fire before asking a question.”

The investigation into the attack is ongoing.

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