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China is a land rich in history and beauty, but beyond its picturesque cherry blossoms and the Great Wall, the country is also grappling with eerie issues that could endanger its citizens, the global community, and even unborn leaders of sacred importance.
There’s a dark and unsettling reason why China always seems to have a steady supply of organ donors. Its social credit system appears to be ripped straight from a dystopian novel. Some of the country’s mysteries are equally spine-chilling, such as the government’s silence about a deadly virus, or the bizarre assault on American diplomats on Chinese soil. If you think that’s strange, here are some truly bizarre incidents that will leave you questioning reality:
10. The J-20 Fighter Jet
After observing the American F-22 Raptor, China took a bold step by developing a response: the J-20. This stealth jet was crafted and tested under the veil of secrecy. In 2018, it emerged from the shadows, ready to face off against the Raptor as a formidable combat aircraft.
The dark atmosphere that once surrounded its secretive development was absent, or more accurately, delayed. The WS-15 engines were initially expected to make the J-20 comparable to or even superior to the F-22. However, after a catastrophic explosion during a 2015 ground test, these engines were removed from the plane’s design. This means that while China’s latest jet is operational and capable, it still cannot match the F-22’s power.
For now, the J-20 relies on less powerful engines until the WS-15 issue is resolved, a process that may take several years. Despite this, the aircraft remains a significant asset, equipped with a range of weaponry, making it China’s most formidable defense against America’s stealth jets.
9. The Majority of New Pharmaceuticals Are Fake
In 2016, the Chinese government launched an investigation into new pharmaceutical drugs. The study focused on products awaiting approval and included 1,622 clinical trials, as well as supplementary data such as application documents, ingredients, and timelines for drug creation. The results were alarming.
Over 80 percent of the data in these studies was found to be falsified. Side effect records were erased, and data was manipulated to falsely suggest that the drugs were effective. Much of the information was incomplete or outright missing. In many cases, the products weren’t even new, but rather a rehashing of existing medications. Investigators also discovered that several trial results were fabricated before the experiments had even taken place.
The deceit ran far deeper than initially thought. Scientists, pharmaceutical companies, laboratories, and even other researchers were all complicit. This shady network wasn’t solely driven by greed. Employees in the pharmaceutical industry face immense pressure to deliver groundbreaking work or risk losing their jobs. When you factor in the cutthroat competition between companies, the widespread rule-bending becomes easier to understand.
8. The Presidential Rival – Winnie The Pooh
Many everyday things we take for granted are blocked in China, but in 2017, something unusual happened: Winnie-the-Pooh was banned. The reason wasn’t because the beloved bear made controversial remarks or opposed the government. It wasn’t even because he refused to wear pants. His crime? Chinese citizens began comparing President Xi Jinping to the iconic character.
The retaliation was swift and severe. Pooh was erased from Chinese social media, and his stickers vanished from messaging apps. Humor seems to be in short supply among China’s political elite. They can't tolerate the public making fun of them. The comparison first emerged in 2013 when Xi was compared to Pooh in an image alongside President Obama, with the chubby bear walking next to the fit and energetic Tigger. A year later, after Xi had an awkward handshake with Japan's Prime Minister, the internet responded with a playful image of Pooh meeting Eeyore. In 2015, one of China’s most heavily censored images showed Pooh peeking out of a toy car, juxtaposed with Xi emerging from his own parade car’s roof.
7. The Enigmatic “BreedReady” List
In 2019, a Dutch researcher stumbled across a publicly accessible database in China, and what he found was deeply troubling. The database contained the personal information of 1.8 million Chinese women. Not only did it include their phone numbers and home addresses—essentially a stalker's treasure—but it also listed each woman’s ‘BreedReady’ status.
Some believed the strange wording might have been a result of poor translation. The database was in English, and someone with limited language skills from China could have easily misinterpreted the term without malicious intent. The original Chinese phrase could have referred to women of childbearing age or to whether they had children. Interestingly, the average age of the women was 32.
Alternatively, some creepy theories abound. It’s possible that the government was targeting women who are able to 'breed,' given the country’s rapidly declining birthrate. It might not have been a government registry at all, though; a company, dating app, or even a hacker could have compiled the list. The database also included sensitive details such as the women’s educational background and political views. The truth behind who had access to this information remains a mystery, as the database was taken down shortly after the Dutch researcher exposed it.
6. The Electromagnetic Railgun
Among China’s cutting-edge naval technology is the electromagnetic railgun, first seen in 2011. Unlike traditional firearms that rely on gunpowder, this railgun uses electromagnetic energy to launch projectiles. What’s even more astonishing is that the railgun can propel these projectiles at a staggering speed of 2.6 kilometers per second (1.6 miles per second).
In 2019, images surfaced showing China’s first warship equipped with the railgun. The Haiyangshan, a Type 072II Yuting-class tank landing ship, was first spotted docked along the Yangtze River near a shipyard. A few months later, more photos appeared on social media, showing the Haiyangshan sailing in open waters, still carrying what appeared to be the electromagnetic railgun. This fueled suspicions that the weapon was undergoing tests in maritime conditions.
Such formidable firepower is enough to instill fear in other nations. However, China is not content. According to US defense sources, China plans to have warships equipped with electromagnetic railguns capable of striking targets from 200 kilometers (124 miles) away by 2025.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 Utterly Bizarre Things Banned In China
5. Reincarnation Must Comply with Chinese Laws
In an unprecedented statement, the current Dalai Lama remarked in a 2019 interview that the world could soon witness the existence of two Dalai Lamas at the same time. The 83-year-old leader was selected for this prestigious role when he was just two years old. For the past 60 years, the Dalai Lama has lived in India, having fled his homeland of Tibet due to Chinese rule.
Recently, Beijing declared that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must adhere to Chinese law. This is in accordance with the 'New Regulations on Religious Affairs and the Rules on the Management of the Reincarnation of Tibetan Living Buddhas.' According to this lengthy regulation, China asserts the right to approve the selection of the child destined to be the next Dalai Lama.
The current Dalai Lama is fully aware of the gravity of this situation. His successor would be under the control of China’s Communist Party, a regime known for its persecution of most religions. In 1995, the Dalai Lama identified a child as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest position after his own. However, the Chinese government took the 6-year-old Tibetan boy into ‘protective custody,’ replacing him with a Panchen Lama of their choosing. To this day, no one has seen the Tibetan child again. As a result, the Dalai Lama urged people to trust only a reborn Dalai Lama in a free country, and not one chosen by China.
4. The Dystopian Credit System
Imagine being unable to board a train or receive prompt medical care simply because you don’t have enough government points. In 2018, China rolled out an unprecedented surveillance and population control system.
Known as the Social Credit System, every citizen and business is assigned a score. Positive points are earned by things like paying bills on time, recycling correctly, and engaging in charitable work. Rewards include lower travel costs, better credit opportunities, and shorter wait times at hospitals. On the other side, a chilling statement explains that the system is designed to ‘make it difficult for the discredited to take a single step.’ This mass public coercion is powered by China’s 200 million CCTV cameras, all connected to facial recognition software. Once a person is identified, the system can access their private records and monitor their behavior for any signs of disobedience.
Losing points in the Social Credit System is frighteningly simple. Points can be deducted for things like smoking in restricted areas, jaywalking, or even struggling to pay bills. Liu Hu, a journalist who exposed government corruption, was labeled as 'dishonest.' As a result, he was banned from public transport, his social media accounts were deactivated, and his career was ruined.
3. A Terrifying Organ Trade
China is renowned for its rapid progress in various fields. However, some of these accomplishments raise suspicions. For example, organ transplants are a common struggle worldwide due to the lack of donors. In most countries, patients can wait for years for a replacement organ. In China, however, the waiting time can be mere weeks.
In 2016, approximately 640 organs were transplanted. At first glance, this seems like a normal number, but the shocking reality is that all 640 operations took place in just 10 days. Official records show only 30 donors, which implies an impossible scenario of 21 body parts being harvested from each donor. China had previously been accused of taking organs from prisoners without consent, a practice they claimed to have halted. However, a 2019 tribunal found compelling evidence that forced organ harvesting was still being conducted.
A doctor testified that he was instructed to remove the kidneys of a prisoner who had been shot in the head. He carried out the operation while the man was still alive and in distress. But prisoners aren't the only victims. Dissidents—individuals arrested for angering the government—are also targeted, with ethnic minorities and members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement being particularly vulnerable to this gruesome practice.
2. China Is Hoarding A Deadly Virus
The United States and China once had a clear understanding: After the H7N9 bird flu was first identified in China in 2013, China would regularly share samples with the U.S. Initially, everything went smoothly. China provided new flu strains and all related data. However, over time, communication broke down, and eventually, the samples ceased to arrive. Despite repeated requests, no vials were ever shared.
While the consequences of this are not immediately apparent, China's refusal to share the samples could have disastrous implications. H7N9 has a fatality rate of 40 percent. If that isn't alarming enough, the virus continues to evolve. American scientists need to track and understand this ever-changing virus to protect people from a potential pandemic. However, with the silence, there's a growing risk that the world could face an outbreak for which we are unprepared. Without the latest samples, developing a vaccine becomes virtually impossible.
To make matters worse, China experienced two major outbreaks in 2016 and 2017. Scientists outside the country are unaware of the specific strain of H7N9 that infected hundreds. No samples or patient information were ever disclosed. If this pattern of withholding continues, many experts fear it could lead to a global crisis, resulting in countless deaths.
1. Sonic Attacks
In 2017, a strange illness struck American diplomats stationed in Cuba. The bizarre circumstances surrounding the incident, widely believed to have been caused by a sonic attack, strained US-Cuba relations. Eventually, all Cuban diplomats were expelled from the United States. This incident became well-known in the media, but fewer people are aware that a similar event occurred in China just months later, stretching into 2018.
American diplomats working in Guangzhou, China, began experiencing unusual sounds followed by intense headaches and insomnia. One consulate worker, who also felt a strange pressure, ended up suffering brain trauma. Concerned, the US government evacuated several staff members and their families. Unlike the Cuban situation, there were no expulsions of Chinese diplomats. However, Chinese officials expressed frustration over the lack of transparency from the US. A local investigation was launched but found no evidence of foul play, though it remained open to any new information the Americans might provide, which was not forthcoming.
