Small Bomb Blast At U.S. Embassy In Beijing

There was a brief security scare sparked by a small explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing Thursday. 

Chinese police said it was caused by a small homemade device wielded by a 26-year-old man who hurt only himself. 

The police statement identified the man only by his surname, Jiang, and said he was from the city of Tongliao in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia. No other injuries were reported.

"There was an explosion at approximately 1 pm today on the street outside the South East corner of the Embassy compound," the U.S. Embassy confirmed in a statement. "According to the Embassy's Regional Security Officer, there was one individual who detonated a bomb. Other than the bomber, no other people were injured and there was no damage to embassy property. The local police responded."  

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.