China executes Fan Weiqu and Xu Jiajin over deadly attacks

Chinese state media reported that two men who committed deadly attacks, resulting in dozens of deaths, have been executed, raising concerns about a surge in so-called "revenge against society" crimes. Both cases caused significant casualties and have drawn widespread public attention.

Fan Weiqu, 62, was executed on Monday after driving his car into a crowd outside a stadium in the southern city of Zhuhai last November, killing at least 35 people. Chinese authorities stated that this attack was the deadliest in the country in more than a decade. Police investigations revealed that Fan Weiqu was disgruntled due to a divorce property division dispute.

Also in November last year, Xu Jiajin, 21, carried out a knife attack at a vocational school in the eastern city of Wuxi, resulting in 8 deaths and 17 injuries. Police stated that Xu Jiajin was unable to graduate due to failing exams and was dissatisfied with his internship wages. According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xu Jiajin was also executed on Monday.

These two killings prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to urge local governments to take measures to prevent such attacks, which are termed "revenge against society" incidents. According to state media, the death sentences for the two men were handed down by the Zhuhai and Wuxi Intermediate People's Courts in December last year and were approved by the Supreme People's Court.

It is believed that China executes more people annually than the rest of the world combined, although the exact figures are classified as a state secret. Traditionally, executions were carried out by firing squad, but lethal injections have also been introduced in recent years.