Chinese man detained for ‘inappropriate comments’ about Victory Day parade

A man in the central province of Hubei was detained for allegedly making “inappropriate comments” about China’s Victory Day military parade and spreading rumours.

According to cyber police in the city of Xiangyang, the 47-year-old man, surnamed Meng, made slanderous and derogatory remarks on Wednesday while commenting on a social media post about the parade held in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

When others expressed patriotic sentiment, Meng “insulted them and spread rumours, provoking strong anger among netizens”, the police said in a statement on Thursday.

The police launched an investigation and Meng admitted to his “unlawful behaviour”, according to the statement.

On Thursday, police in the city of Zaoyang, also in Hubei, detained Meng for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – a catch-all criminal offence in China. The police said his comments had “hurt people’s patriotic sentiments and caused severe negative social impact”.

“The great spirit of the War of Resistance serves as the spiritual backbone of our nation,” the Xiangyang cyber police said, referring to China’s war against Japanese aggression from 1937 to 1945.

South China Morning Post