A Chinese woman has died while trying to shield a Japanese mother and her child from a knife attack.
Hu Youping was working as a school bus attendant in Suzhou province when a man attacked a Japanese woman and her child at a bus stop outside a Japanese school.
She was seriously injured while trying to restrain him.
Praise for her has been pouring in online and local authorities said she will be awarded the title “Model of Integrity and Courage”.
The Japanese Embassy in China also lowered its flag to half-mast in memory of Ms. Hu. In a statement on Weibo, the embassy said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of her death.
“We believe [Ms Hu’s] Courage and kindness also represent the courage of the Chinese people. We honor her righteous deeds. May she rest in peace,” the notice read.
Similarly, on Chinese social media, there were also many condolences and compliments.
“We will remember your kindness and courage, as you protected the safety of our Japanese friends and preserved the reputation of ordinary Chinese people,” said one comment on social network Twitter wrote.
Another described Ms. Hu as “an ordinary, virtuous and courageous Chinese sister.”
The attack that happened on Monday left mother and child injured, although their injuries were not life-threatening.
The suspect, a 52-year-old Chinese man, was arrested at the scene.
It follows another stabbing incident earlier this month injured four US university lecturers at a park in Jilin, northeastern China.
Chinese officials said the two attacks were “isolated” incidents.
Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times published an editorial on Friday in memory of Ms. Hu, declaring that “China is definitely still one of the safest countries in the world.”
Separately, the paper reported that Weibo deleted 759 posts “inciting nationalist sentiment” following the attack. These posts contained “extreme opinions” that “promoted group hatred and even applauded criminal acts in the name of patriotism.”
The stabbing in Suzhou sparked concern among the local Japanese community and prompted the embassy to issue a safety alert, warning citizens living in China to take precautions when going out.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the incident was “regrettable” and would “continue to take effective measures to strictly protect the safety of all foreigners in China”.
China has seen a series of knife attacks over the past year.
In May, two people were killed and 10 others injured in such incidents. an attack on an elementary school in southern Jiangxi province. Another stabbing that same month left two people dead and 21 injured at a hospital in Yunnan.
In July last year, six people, including three children, were killed in stabbing incident at kindergarten in Guangdong province, southeast.
