Shanghai, with a population of more than 26 million, has been under lockdown for almost 3 weeks, causing an increasingly dire situation. The local people are struggling for food, supplies, and access to medical care.
The Chinese communist regime’s state TV network CCTV recently reported that more than 1,000 supermarkets and stores in Shanghai have resumed operation and that there is a “sufficient supply” of daily necessities.
However, Chinese netizens posted online saying the news is fake.
On April 16, CCTV’s “Network News Broadcast” reported a news package titled “Shanghai persistent in dynamic clearing while ensuring supplies of daily necessities,” showing video footage of “adequate goods and supplies in stores.” The news broadcast claimed that as of April 15, “1,011 key supermarkets and stores in Shanghai have reopened, 42 non-infected warehouses of e-commerce platforms have resumed business, and 779 non-infected front warehouses have resumed business.”
However, Chinese netizens disputed the news broadcast on social media.
“Photographer Fei Diwen” posted that he shot the “first three shots of people shopping at a supermarket” in the CCTV news on March 31 at RT-Mart (Yangpu District store) in Yangpu, Shanghai, which was before Yangpu was locked down in early April in the Shanghai’s two-step city lockdown. He added that the footage was shot for another CCTV program “Economy 30 Minutes.”
Netizens posted screenshots of the news, alleging it was fake, showing the vegetables piled on the counter in front of the camera, while the rest of the store counters remain empty.
Many residents in Shanghai were enraged by the broadcast. Posts on social media accused the state media of spreading rumors and called for CCTV to be held accountable for it.
A netizen calling himself “Laosheng Talks About Bulk Again” demanded answers, asking in his post, “Which area of Shanghai is in this footage? Specifically, which supermarket is it?” “Who in Shanghai has done a good job in supplying daily necessities? Where can I get the supplies?”
Posts that questioned the CCTV news broadcast were quickly deleted by authorities. Shanghai officials further stated that online posts questioning the news were rumors and that the CCTV news footage “reflected the situation in the supermarket in Jinshan District on April 15.”
Many netizens reacted to the statement by Shanghai officials saying, “Jinshan can’t represent the whole Shanghai city, right? Why not report the real situation in the urban area?” Jinshan is a suburban district of Shanghai.
Other netizens said, “Shanghai authorities credibility is zero, CCTV’s credibility is negative, and their level of rumor-making is really outrageous.”
