By Li Muzi, Vision Times
Reports of missing adolescents across China have taken social media by storm. Following the mysterious death of a 13-year-old high school student in Henan Province, multiple cases of youth disappearances have been reported across the province within days, fueling widespread concern.
On Chinese social media, some netizens commented that “Henan has turned into Cambodia,” while others warned that “a ‘parts defense battle’ has begun in Henan.”
A cluster of disappearances
According to information circulating on social media, a series of disappearances involving minors and teenagers have been reported in and around Henan in early January:
Netizens reacted with alarm, with a flood of comments pointing out that the disappearances appear to be growing with zero repercussions:
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On Jan. 13, a blogger with the handle “Douyin Search for Missing, Let Love Return Home” reported that five people had gone missing in Shangqiu, Henan alone, including children, teenagers, and middle-aged adults, with disappearances occurring near train stations, supermarkets, and residential communities. The blogger wrote, “It’s heartbreaking.”
Biotech developments raise concerns
Public records show that Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone in Henan is aggressively developing a cell and gene therapy industrial park and CDMO pilot base, located within the Zhongyuan Medical Science City. The project, launched in 2024, involves a total investment of 770 million yuan and a planned construction area of 202,800 square meters, focusing on synthetic biology and full-chain biomedical services.
Combined with regional cell preparation and sample centers in the Zhengzhou Airport Biomedical Park, the initiative aims to create a national-level biomedical innovation hub — a detail that has further fueled online speculation amid the surge in disappearances.
Public anger intensified following the Jan. 8 death of a 13-year-old boy surnamed Zhu at Jinshi Qinghuayuan High School in Xincai County.
MORE ON THIS: Sudden Death of Henan Student Sparks Outrage as Authorities Rule Out Foul Play
According to multiple accounts circulating online, school authorities attempted to move the boy’s body before his family arrived by using a non-standard ambulance. The transfer was stopped only after the boy’s uncle blocked the vehicle with a truck. Hours later, when the family was finally allowed to see the body, they reportedly observed blood at the corners of the boy’s mouth and a nail-sized hole in his chest, raising suspicions about the teen’s real cause of death.
The following day, grieving relatives, parents, and local residents gathered outside the school demanding answers. Authorities responded by deploying large numbers of armed police. On Jan. 11, officials announced that the student had died from “cardiac-related sudden death,” claiming the chest puncture resulted from forensic blood sampling. The explanation sparked outrage, leading to larger protests that were swiftly suppressed. Online posts and videos were rapidly removed, and the student’s parents reportedly disappeared from public view.
In a widely circulated 21-minute-59-second video, multiple mainland bloggers said:
Another blogger lamented the censorship and cover-up by Chinese authorities and censor controls:
Links to forced organ harvesting
World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) director Wang Zhiyuan told Vision Times that incidents such as the Xincai student’s death may be connected to the Chinese Communist Party’s long-exposed forced organ harvesting system. He stressed that the crime has expanded beyond Falun Gong practitioners to broader society: “It is reasonable that ordinary people now associate these incidents with live organ harvesting.”
Wang cited long-term data showing that China has reported millions of missing persons, with approximately four million disappearances in 2016 alone. Even during the strict COVID lockdowns of 2020, more than one million people reportedly went missing, many never accounted for. High-profile cases, such as the disappearance of high-school student Hu Xinyu, have also fueled public suspicion.
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According to Wang, investigations by WOIPFG since 2003 have produced extensive evidence, including recorded phone calls, witness testimony, and internal documents, indicating that forced organ harvesting has operated as a state-linked policy since 1999. He emphasized: “What Falun Gong practitioners have been saying for over 20 years is being proven true by what people are now witnessing around them.”
WOIPFG reports note that many missing youths had undergone free medical examinations organized by schools or hospitals shortly before disappearing, raising fears of donor selection.
‘Cambodia-style’ closed compounds
The article also draws attention to a recent Thai military airstrike on Dec. 22 against scam compounds near Poipet on the Thai-Cambodian border. In one widely shared video, Chinese nationals on a rooftop waved Chinese flags in a failed attempt to avoid the strike. The footage spread rapidly online, with many Chinese netizens supporting Thailand’s actions due to long-standing anger over telecom fraud.
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Against this backdrop, Chinese social media users now warn that “Cambodia-style compounds are being relocated back into China.” Posts claim that closed-off factories and industrial parks are appearing across multiple provinces, with one Jiangsu netizen noting: “They’re not even pretending anymore, it’s all out in the open.”
Multiple Douyin bloggers echoed similar warnings:
The concentration of youth disappearances in Henan, following the controversial student death in Henan, has triggered fear, anger, and unprecedented public discussion. While official explanations continue to deny wrongdoing, growing numbers of citizens are openly questioning whether these cases reflect deeper systemic crimes — ones that, until recently, many believed could never reach ordinary families.