CHINA: China executed two men responsible for deadly attacks that claimed dozens of lives in November 2024, sparking renewed concerns about the surge in “revenge on society crimes,” state media reported on 21 January.
Fan Weiqu (樊维秋), 62, was executed for ramming his car into a crowd outside a sports stadium in Zhuhai, a city in southern China.
The attack, which occurred on 11 November, claimed the lives of at least 35 individuals and injured 45 others, marking the deadliest such incident in the country in more than a decade.
Police investigations revealed Fan’s motive stemmed from frustration over his divorce settlement and personal grievances.
On Monday, China also executed 21-year-old Xu Jiajin (徐加金), who killed eight people and injured 17 others in a stabbing rampage at a vocational school in Wuxi, located in eastern Jiangsu province.
Police disclosed that Xu, a former student of the institution, had been dissatisfied with his failed exams, inability to graduate, and dissatisfaction with his internship pay.
Both executions were approved by the Supreme People’s Court following death sentences issued by the intermediate people’s courts in Zhuhai and Wuxi in December.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that the executions were carried out under strict supervision.
These incidents, classified by authorities as “revenge on society crimes,” have ignited public discourse on perceived social ills.
Fan’s attack in Zhuhai was described by the court as “particularly cruel,” with the court condemning his motives as “extremely vile” and the nature of his crime as “egregious.”
During his trial, Fan pleaded guilty in front of victims’ families and expressed regret.
Similarly, Xu’s attack in Wuxi was labelled “extraordinarily serious” by the court, citing his deliberate planning and intent to cause widespread harm.
Before his execution, Xu was permitted to meet his close relatives, a customary practice in China for those sentenced to death.
The executions have reignited debate over China’s use of capital punishment, with human rights organisations raising concerns about transparency.
Death penalty statistics remain classified as a state secret, but groups such as Amnesty International estimate that China executes thousands annually. While gunshot executions were historically common, lethal injections are increasingly used.