BEIJING (Reuters) - A bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Thursday, wounding the lone assailant, the embassy said in a statement, although police described the weapon merely as a “firework device”.

The explosion happened on the street outside southeast corner of the embassy compound. Beijing police said the suspect, a 26-year-old man from China’s Inner Mongolia region whom they identified only by the surname Jiang, had injured his hand and had been taken to hospital.

Police did not provide a motive but said in a statement via their official account on the Chinese social networking service Weibo that the suspect had a history of mental illness and was once hospitalized for treatment. The suspect was hearing voices, the statement said.

China and the United States have been involved in a trade dispute initiated by Washington, with the two sides imposing tariffs on $34 billion worth of each other’s goods. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened ultimately to impose punitive tariffs on all Chinese imports.

While Chinese officials and state media have been outspoken in their criticism of Washington’s trade moves, there has not been a groundswell of outrage on China’s heavily censored social media, and no reported boycotts of U.S. goods.

Witnesses told Reuters that they heard an explosion near the embassy and felt tremors.

“I’d just arrived and started to queue and then heard a loud explosion about 100 meters away,” a 19-year-old high school student who gave his name as Li told reporters.

Li said the blast happened shortly after 1 p.m. as he queued to apply for a U.S. visa to take an exam in Los Angeles.

A police SUV appeared to have been damaged, with its back windshield missing, and was cordoned off by police before being removed, a Reuters witness said.

People wait outside the U.S. embassy, near the site of a blast in Beijing, China July 26, 2018. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

The embassy resumed normal operations at about 1.45 p.m., it said.

Crowds were still queueing outside the embassy after the explosion, and traffic was moving as normal in an area of northeastern Beijing that is home to numerous embassies including those of France, India and Israel.

(Graphic showing site of explosion in Beijing: tmsnrt.rs/2K1qL1Y)

Postings on social media showed pictures of smoke close to where people line up outside the compound for visa appointments. Some video clips and images were later removed.

Li Shaohui, a 58-year-old sanitation worker, said he felt the ground shake and that some people screamed.

“I thought first there was a big car crash,” Li told Reuters, adding that the smoke had cleared quickly.

There was no damage to U.S. embassy property, the embassy said. Staff members at the Indian and South Korean embassies said they were unaware of any unusual incident and were working as normal.

The state-run Global Times reported separately, citing witnesses, that police took away a woman who sprayed herself with gasoline in a suspected self-immolation attempt outside the embassy at around 11 a.m. It was not clear whether this woman’s actions were related to the later explosion, the paper said.

A witness who did not want to be identified told Reuters that he saw a middle-aged woman with two buckets of gasoline. On her back were the Chinese characters for “sue them”.

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Beijing police and the U.S. embassy did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the woman.

Security in the Chinese capital is tight and protests are often quickly disbanded. Violent crime rates are low in China, according to official statistics.</s>Homemade Bomb Explodes Outside US Embassy in Beijing

A man exploded a small homemade bomb outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, injuring only himself, according to police and an embassy spokesperson.</s>BEIJING (Reuters) - A bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Thursday, wounding the lone assailant, the embassy said in a statement, but police described the weapon merely as a “firework device”.

The explosion happened on the street outside southeast corner of the embassy compound, the embassy said. Beijing police said the suspect, a 26-year-old man from China’s Inner Mongolia region, had injured his hand and been taken to hospital.

China and the United States have been involved in an escalating trade dispute initiated by Washington after the two sides imposed tariffs on $34 billion worth of each other’s goods, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening ultimately to impose punitive tariffs on all Chinese imports.

While Chinese officials and state media have been outspoken in their criticism of Washington’s trade moves, there has not been a groundswell of outrage on China’s heavily censored social media, and no reported boycotts of U.S. goods.

Witnesses told Reuters that they heard an explosion near the embassy and felt tremors.

“I’d just arrived and started to queue and then heard a loud explosion about 100 meters away,” a 19-year-old high school student who gave his name as Li told reporters.

Li said the blast happened shortly after 1 p.m. as he queued to apply for a U.S. visa to take an exam in Los Angeles.

A police SUV appeared to have been damaged, with its back windshield missing, and was cordoned off by police before being removed, a Reuters witness said.

The embassy resumed normal operations at about 1.45 p.m., it said.

Crowds were still queueing outside the embassy after the explosion and traffic was moving as normal in an area of northeastern Beijing that is home to numerous embassies including those of France, India and Israel.

Postings on social media showed pictures of smoke close to where people line up outside the compound for visa appointments. Some video clips and images were later removed.

Li Shaohui, a 58-year-old sanitation worker, said he felt the ground shake and that some people screamed.

“I thought first there was big a car crash,” Li told Reuters, adding that the smoke had cleared quickly.

There was no damage to U.S. embassy property, the embassy said.

Security in the Chinese capital is tight and protests are often quickly disbanded. Violent crime rates are low in China, according to official statistics

Staff members at the Indian and South Korean embassies said they were unaware of any unusual incident and were working as normal.</s>A suspected "firework device" exploded outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday wounding the 26-year-old male suspect and no one else, police said.

BEIJING: A suspected "firework device" exploded outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday wounding the 26-year-old male suspect and no one else, police said.

The embassy, in a separate statement, described the device as a bomb. It said police had responded but did not offer further details. Police said only the suspect was wounded, suffering an injury to his hand.

The state-run Global Times newspaper said earlier police took away a woman who sprayed herself with gasoline in what was suspected to be a self-immolation attempt outside the embassy.</s>BEIJING—A person exploded a bomb just outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, leaving the bomber injured but no others, the embassy said.

The explosion happened about 1 p.m. local time just outside the southeast entrance to the embassy, an embassy official said.

The embassy is in an area of other diplomatic compounds and hotels in...</s>Man explodes small bomb outside US Embassy in Beijing

BEIJING (AP) — A man exploded a small homemade bomb outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, injuring only himself, according to police and an embassy spokesperson.

Photos on social media showed a large amount of smoke and police vehicles surrounding the embassy shortly after the incident. Apart from a heightened security presence, the scene outside appeared to be normal by early afternoon.

The Beijing Police Department posted a statement on its website identifying the suspect only by his surname, Jiang, and said he was 26 years old and a native of Tongliao city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia. He was injured on the hand by the explosive device, which was made from fireworks and was detonated at about 1 p.m., police said.

There was no word on a motive and the statement said the investigation was continuing.

No damage was done to embassy property and no other injuries were recorded, a U.S. embassy spokesperson said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

Only one person was involved and police responded to the situation, the spokesperson said.

Neither the police nor the embassy had any comment on a report by the ruling Communist Party newspaper Global Times that said officers had earlier removed a women from outside the embassy who had sprayed gasoline on herself in a "suspected attempt at self-immolation" at around 11 a.m.

China and the U.S. are in the middle of a trade dispute, but America remains a hugely popular destination for travel, education and immigration for Chinese citizens.

On weekdays, large lines of visa applicants form outside the embassy, which sits in a busy corner of the city with numerous diplomatic facilities as well as hotels and stores.</s>A bomb has exploded outside the U.S. embassy in China's capital, wounding the lone suspect, according to an embassy statement.</s>Chinese police say the explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing was caused by a small homemade device wielded by a 26-year-old man who hurt only himself.

Chinese police say the explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing was caused by a small homemade device wielded by a 26-year-old man who hurt only himself.

(AP Photo/Andy Wong). Officials and security personnel stand near the site of reported blast outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Thursday, July 26, 2018. A fire or possible explosion appears to have taken place outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on T...

(AP Photo/Andy Wong). Officials and security personnel stand near the site of reported blast outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Thursday, July 26, 2018. A fire or possible explosion appears to have taken place outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on T...

Chinese paramilitary police march in formation past the site of an incident near the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Thursday, July 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

BEIJING (AP) - A man exploded a small homemade bomb outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, injuring only himself, according to police and an embassy spokesperson.

Photos on social media showed a large amount of smoke and police vehicles surrounding the embassy shortly after the incident. Apart from a heightened security presence, the scene outside appeared to be normal by early afternoon.

The Beijing Police Department posted a statement on its website identifying the suspect only by his surname, Jiang, and said he was 26 years old and a native of Tongliao city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia. He was injured on the hand by the explosive device, which was made from fireworks and was detonated at about 1 p.m., police said.

There was no word on a motive and the statement said the investigation was continuing.

No damage was done to embassy property and no other injuries were recorded, a U.S. embassy spokesperson said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

Only one person was involved and police responded to the situation, the spokesperson said.

Neither the police nor the embassy had any comment on a report by the ruling Communist Party newspaper Global Times that said officers had earlier removed a women from outside the embassy who had sprayed gasoline on herself in a "suspected attempt at self-immolation" at around 11 a.m.

China and the U.S. are in the middle of a trade dispute, but America remains a hugely popular destination for travel, education and immigration for Chinese citizens.

On weekdays, large lines of visa applicants form outside the embassy, which sits in a busy corner of the city with numerous diplomatic facilities as well as hotels and stores.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>BEIJING - A bomb exploded outside the US embassy in Beijing on Thursday, wounding the lone assailant, the embassy said in a statement, but police described the weapon merely as a “firework device”.

The explosion happened on the street outside southeast corner of the embassy compound. Beijing police said the suspect, a 26-year-old man from China’s Inner Mongolia region, had injured his hand and been taken to the hospital.

China and the United States have been involved in a trade dispute initiated by Washington with the two sides imposing tariffs on $34 billion worth of each other’s goods. US President Donald Trump has threatened ultimately to impose punitive tariffs on all Chinese imports.

While Chinese officials and state media have been outspoken in their criticism of Washington’s trade moves, there has not been a groundswell of outrage on China’s heavily censored social media, and no reported boycotts of US goods.

Witnesses told Reuters that they heard an explosion near the embassy and felt tremors.

“I’d just arrived and started to queue and then heard a loud explosion about 100 meters away,” a 19-year-old high school student who gave his name as Li told reporters.

Li said the blast happened shortly after 1 pm as he queued to apply for a US visa to take an exam in Los Angeles.

A police SUV appeared to have been damaged, with its back windshield missing, and was cordoned off by police before being removed, a Reuters witness said.

The embassy resumed normal operations at about 1.45 pm, it said.

Crowds were still queueing outside the embassy after the explosion and traffic was moving as normal in an area of northeastern Beijing that is home to numerous embassies including those of France, India and Israel.

Postings on social media showed pictures of smoke close to where people line up outside the compound for visa appointments. Some video clips and images were later removed.

Li Shaohui, a 58-year-old sanitation worker, said he felt the ground shake and that some people screamed.

“I thought first there was big a car crash,” Li told Reuters, adding that the smoke had cleared quickly.

There was no damage to US embassy property, the embassy said. Staff members at the Indian and South Korean embassies said they were unaware of any unusual incident and were working as normal.

The state-run Global Times reported separately, citing witnesses, that police took away a woman who sprayed herself with gasoline in a suspected self-immolation attempt outside the embassy at around 11 am It was not clear whether this woman’s actions were related to the later explosion, the paper said.

A witness who did not want to be identified told Reuters that he saw a middle-aged woman with two buckets of gasoline. On her back were the Chinese characters for “sue them”.

Beijing police and the US embassy did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the woman.

Security in the Chinese capital is tight and protests are often quickly disbanded. Violent crime rates are low in China, according to official statistics.</s>A bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Thursday, wounding the lone assailant, the embassy said in a statement, but police described the weapon merely as a “firework device". Grace Lee reports.
A bomb explodes outside the U.S. Embassy in China, wounding the lone assailant.