Chinese Who Stabbed Foreigners Shot

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 6

Chinese Who Stabbed Foreigners Shot

(N.Z. Pres* Assn.—Copyright) PEKING, June 14. A 19-year-old Chinese youth was sentenced to death before a packed stadium today for wounding two foreign visitors with a kitchen knife. Yang Kuo Ching was led out to be shot as an organised crowd of some 13,000 cheered and chanted. It was the first such public session of the Supreme Court here for about six years. Pale and slight in the central arena of Peking’s largest indoor stadium, Yang showed no emotion as the 600 word verdict and sentence concluded: “Counter-revolution-airy murderer Yang Kuo Ching will be sent to the execution ground to be shot forthwith.” Yang stabbed the wife of an East German Embassy official in the face last April, and a journalist from Mali, Baker* Tkaove, in the neck. Both now are out of hospital. Yang was held by three policemen and guarded by five others. Streamers slung overhead read: “Wipe out all counter-revolutionaries;” and the crowd chanted: “Long live the solidarity between the Chinese people and those of other countries.” The court President said Yang bad confessed that it was has intention “to create an internaitiotiai murder case and provoke an international dispute so aa to apoil China’s international good name.” The counterrevolutionary

nature of the attacks was dear, the President said, but some people had spread the notion that it was a reflection of Chinese xenophobia. The verdict pronouncement said Yang had nourished intense dass hated against the party since his landlord father was executed for the murder of nemtuttonartas be-

tore the Communists came to power.

Once before, Yang had been let off lightly when caught at some counternrevolutionairy plotting. But he had failed to mend his ways and plotted the murder of diplomats and other friendly foreigners, the pronouncement said. Since the knifing, which occurred in the “Friendship” store—reserved for foreigners —Chinese authorities have increased security surveillance of foreigners in Peking. All their homes are guarded 24 hours daily since last month by whiteuniformed policemen armed with pistols. Plain-clothes men often escort foreigners walking in parks and patrol inside and outside the stoops they use. Some antique shops previously favoured by foreigners have been closed, presumably in an attempt to concentrate this trade in fewer, betterguarded establishments.