Exclusive: Israeli missions in China step up security checks, after weekend curfew order for Beijing staff following knife attack

Several Israeli missions in China have tightened security requirements for staff movement after an employee at the embassy in Beijing was stabbed in the street, sources said.

This comes after embassy staff were asked to stay home for the weekend, hours after the attack in front of a supermarket in central Beijing on Friday afternoon.

The Israeli embassy said the victim was being treated in hospital.

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Israeli diplomats and their families in Beijing were earlier told to stay home from Friday night.

On Sunday, staff were asked to get approval from security personnel if they wanted to go out, a source familiar with the situation told the Post.

Israeli consulates general in Shanghai and Hong Kong had also received similar instructions, the source added, citing orders from the security division of Israel’s foreign ministry.

Meanwhile, a number of Israelis in Beijing said they had either received calls or been visited by local police on Saturday.

They were told they “had nothing to worry about” and that it was “very safe” in China’s capital city, messages on a WeChat group for Beijing-based Israelis seen by the Post read.

However, some continue to be concerned.

“We are not going to sleep very well these days and if we are out walking on the streets we will be very alert of anyone approaching us.”

The Israeli national, who requested to stay anonymous due to security concerns, said he had been taking in some friends from the community in Beijing who did not want to stay alone.

They had also visited the local police station to register their updated address for safety reasons, after learning that officers had visited other compatriots in Beijing to record their details.

While it was a “relief” that Chinese police were responding quickly and taking the attack seriously, he wished the investigation results and details would be released as soon as possible, the Israeli national said.

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Hours after the stabbing at 2pm on Friday, Chinese police confirmed that the victim, 50, was a family member of a diplomat and had been stabbed in front of a supermarket in the Zuojiazhuang neighbourhood of Chaoyang district. The area is home to several other foreign missions.

The victim’s role at the embassy focused on administrative work, the sources said.

Beijing police confirmed that the suspect was a “foreigner”, but did not offer any information about his nationality.

No motive was given for the attack.

It came as Hamas’ call for a global “day of rage” in support of Palestinians sparked a security alert around the world.

An Israeli government statement said officials were still trying to assess the “background” of what happened in the assault.