Chinese woman dies after protecting Japanese mother and child from knife attack; Japanese embassy in China flies flag at half-mast in tribute

GUANGZHOU, China/BEIJING — A Chinese woman who was stabbed while protecting a Japanese mother and child from a knife-wielding Chinese man in Suzhou, China, has died, local authorities said.

Official media and Chinese social media have praised the actions of Hu Youping, 54, a bus assistant who was seriously injured after trying to stop the man.

The Japanese woman and her kindergarten son were attacked while waiting at a bus stop. According to Xinhua News Agency, citing an eyewitness, Hu was on a school bus when the incident occurred on Monday night. During the attack, she grabbed the man from behind. The man then stabbed Hu and continued to attack her even after she fell.

Thanks to Hu’s actions, the injuries to mother and son were not life-threatening. Hu died Wednesday after falling unconscious.

The public security bureau of the Suzhou municipal people’s government said Hu’s actions prevented the incident from becoming much worse.

News of Hu’s death shot to the top of search results on Chinese social media Weibo, with more than 20,000 comments calling her “amazing” and a “hero.”

The Japanese embassy in Beijing and the consulate general in Shanghai expressed their condolences on Friday by flying their flags at half-mast.

“On behalf of the Japanese government and people, I would like to express my deepest respect and sincere condolences [the woman’s] courageous action,” Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi told reporters.

He stressed that Japan will cooperate with Chinese authorities to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens.