Unrelated video falsely linked to former Chinese premier Li Keqiang's death

This article is more than one year old.
Published on November 7, 2023 at 10:21
Updated on November 7, 2023 at 10:24
3 min read
By AFP Hong Kong

After Chinese state media reported that former premier Li Keqiang had died of a heart attack on October 27, a video was viewed tens of millions of times in posts that falsely claimed it showed the career bureaucrat receiving emergency treatment. The video, however, circulated online several days before Li's death was announced in China.

"This is video of Li Keqiang getting emergency treatment that's being shared online," reads simplified Chinese text on a video that has been viewed more than 970,000 times since it was posted here on TikTok on October 28, 2023.

The eight-second-long clip appears to have been filmed in the back of an ambulance. It shows a person, wearing green medical clothing and a face mask, filming themselves and another person who seems to be lying unconscious on an ambulance stretcher.

It was shared a day after Chinese state media announced that Li had suffered a heart attack in Shanghai and died (archived link).

A career bureaucrat who spoke fluent English, Li voiced support for economic reforms during his time in office. During his 10-year tenure as premier under President Xi Jinping, he cultivated an image as a more modern official compared to his stiffer colleagues.

Following his death, authorities were on high alert for any hints that public mourning for Li could translate into criticism of the current leadership.

Screenshot of the false TikTok post, captured on November 6, 2023

The same clip was also shared in posts on Facebook here, YouTube here, and here on X, formerly Twitter.

The video, however, emerged days before Li's death -- state news agency Xinhua said the former premier died at 12:10 am on October 27 after suffering a heart attack the day before (archived link).

Douyin video

A comment underneath one of the false posts claims the clip is "fake" and says a similar video was posted earlier on the Chinese short video platform Douyin.

A subsequent search on Douyin led to a post containing the same video, which was published on October 23 -- four days before Li was reported to have died.

Screenshot of the Douyin post containing original video, captured on November 7, 2023

Part of the post's caption reads: "Why do you have to be so inconsiderate and not value your own life, even after telling you not to drink you still insist on drinking, now what should I do?"

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video used in the false post (left) and the Douyin video published on October 23 (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video used in the false post (left) and the Douyin video published on October 23 (right)

One commenter on the Douyin post asks if the person lying on the stretcher is "Uncle Gang", to which the Douyin user replies, "Yes".

Screenshot of the Douyin user's reply to a comment

Location information for the Douyin user suggests they are based in Pingxiang, a city in the southern province of Jiangxi.

The user, however, did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

Other videos posted on the account also show the man who appears to be lying on the stretcher.

In one October 28 post that shows a framed photo of the person, the Douyin user replies "thank you" to a commenter that offers their condolences.

Screenshot of the October 28 Douyin post and the comments under the post, captured on November 7, 2023

A keyword search found no official reports of China's former premier receiving "emergency treatment" in the days before his heart attack on October 26.

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