The Beijing police have ordered a ban on the sale of knives in supermarkets after two separate knife attacks occurred in the last week. The attacks left a total of three people dead and another three injured, reports the Southern China Morning Post via BeijingTimes(Chinese).
The last knife ban in the capital was in October 2009 during China’s celebration of 60 years of founding the People’s Republic. However, in January 2012, customers were required to register their purchase of knives for unknown reasons by the city authorities. This latest ban follows a crackdown on illegal weapons that resulted in 1,123 knives and 327 guns being seized.
The SCMP article notes the ridicule by Chinese citizens online:
Netizens have already ridiculed the move as ineffectual. "I can understand the police departments’ concerns," social commentator Yao Bo wrote in a SinaWeibo post. "But what if someone goes into a supermarket and kills someone with a Durian?
The order comes after a Beijing local surnamed Wang stabbed four people outside the Maliandao Carrefour after supposedly buying a knife from the supermarket. One of the people died and a 2-year-old boy was still in critical condition at the Beijing Children’s hospital. Just a few days before, there was a stabbing at Chaoyang Joy City Mall which resulted in the deaths of one Chinese person and one American citizen.
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