Overview
- Xiangyang cyber police say the man, surnamed Meng, insulted patriotic commenters and spread rumours in response to a post about the Beijing parade.
- Meng was detained in Zaoyang on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” with police saying he admitted to “unlawful behaviour.”
- Authorities did not disclose the specific remarks but said the posts hurt patriotic sentiment and caused a severe negative social impact.
- Police warned that attempts to distort history or defame military personnel at commemorative events will face severe punishment.
- The case followed a parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan, attended by Xi Jinping and foreign leaders, and echoes earlier prosecutions under 2018 and 2021 speech restrictions, including blogger Qiu Ziming’s 2021 jailing.