A group of young Chinese children were attacked by knife wielding man after he climbed over the wall of their kindergarten.

A 41-year-old suspect has been caught, but his motives remain unclear, state media reported.

None of the children sustained life threatening injuries during the attack in the south western city of Pingxiang in the province of Guangxi.

Although violent crime is rare in China compared with many other countries, there have been a series of knife and axe attacks targeting children in recent years.

A man stabbed 10 children outside the gates of a school in China before killing himself last February.

Six boys and four girls were attacked outside Yang Fan Primary School in the city of Haikou, on the southern island province of Hainan.

Between 2010 and 2012 there were a spate of attacks on schools and kindergartens.

There was a national outcry and calls for greater security after a a man stabbed 29 school children and three teachers at a kindergarten in Taixing city in April 2010.

Xu Yuyuan, 47, was sentenced to death for the attack.