Man posing as woman living in Japan detained for hurling online insults at China and its people
The posts, which included insults directed at the Chinese people, sparked a backlash on mainland social media.
“Let me update you on my recent situation. I have returned to China and joined the national tax system. From now on, I’ll be feeding on the ‘royal food’. Hey, you all better pay your taxes properly,” one post read.
“The quality of ‘Chinese pigs’ in Taiyuan is so low. Watch how I’ll slaughter you all once I’m in charge,” he wrote in another X post in May.
In addition to criticising Chinese people and disparaging life in China, there was repeated praise for life in Japan while “she” was living there.
“A childhood friend of my father, who works in the provincial office, came to me saying, ‘Just enjoy your life in Japan and try to come back less often, it’s too chaotic here’,” was another post.
The remarks led online observers to question how “she” had managed to pass the civil service political review and was able to have a job there.
On May 6, following reports from netizens, the Wanbailin branch of the Public Security Bureau in Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi province, began an investigation.
They discovered that the story had been fabricated by a man, who has now been detained as investigations continue.
“After investigation, a man, surnamed Shi, 28, unemployed, from Taiyuan, Shanxi, repeatedly made public anti-China and hateful comments online,” a police report said on May 7.
His remarks sparked backlash from many patriots, who labelled him a “nation-hater”, and called for stringent measures against him.
“Please detain him for a few more days. He likes the Japanese flag, doesn’t he? Cover his body with stickers of the flag,” one person said.
“It’s about time we got a handle on these nation-haters. He is an unemployed vagrant,” said another.