A Chinese state-run TV announcer who was fired from a broadcasting station after calling the earthquake in Japan on New Year’s Day ‘retribution’ has gained a large number of followers on Chinese social media (SNS).
According to local media such as China’s Observer Network on the 6th, Hainan TV announcer Xiao Chenghao posted a video on Weibo (Chinese version of In the video, he asks, “Has Baoying (retribution, karma) arrived? “A 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurred suddenly in Japan,” he said.
He said, “Since such a large natural disaster occurred on the first day of the new year, the whole of Japan will be enveloped in dark clouds throughout 2024.” “Nevertheless, some things need to be done less. Nuclear-contaminated water should not be discharged into the sea,” he said.
As the video was shared on social media and controversy arose, Hainan TV excluded Xiao Chenghao from work the next day and fired him two days later on the 4th. Hainan TV is a state-run broadcasting media directly under Hainan Province, established in 2001 through the merger of Hainan Radio and Hainan Broadcasting.
Xiao Chenghau spoke about earthquakes in Japan. Xiaochenghao Douyin account captureHe graduated from Fudan University, a prestigious university in China, and served as the broadcaster’s main announcer, hosting Hainan TV’s comprehensive news and a variety show special for China’s largest holiday, the Spring Festival. His Douyin account had 1 million followers even before he made the seismic statement.
However, after being fired, the number of followers on his SNS account increased to 8.21 million on the 5th, and 310 million people clicked ‘Like’. To this day, messages of support are being posted one after another on his account.
One netizen said, “The broadcasting station doesn’t want you, but we can continue to work on Douyin. “I support you,” he wrote. Another netizen said, “Although there is some controversy, his remarks were just and represented the feelings of the Chinese people.”
Some Chinese media also maintained a tone that seemed to support Xiao Chenghao.
A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 occurred on the Knott Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Honshu, Japan, on the 1st. As of this morning, the Japanese government announced that 100 people had died and 211 had lost contact due to the earthquake.
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.