A truck overloaded with scrap materials passes by on a street on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on February 21, 2022.Photo: VCG

According to the initial investigation by the Cambodian police, the case of "a Chinese kidnapped and sent to Cambodia as a blood slave" is completely fabricated, the Chinese embassy in Cambodia said on Monday. 

Li Yayuanlun, known as the victim of the case, was in fact smuggled into Cambodia and contracted a serious liver disease. He later contacted a local organization for help, said the Chinese embassy quoting a statement by the Cambodian police. 

However, three people assisted Li in fabricating and propagating fake news for different purposes. Li was promoted as a "blood slave" who was illegally detained and abused, which misled public opinion and seriously affected social order, said the Chinese embassy in Monday's statement posted on its official WeChat account. 

According to the previous version of the story, Li was coerced and smuggled into Cambodia after he gullibly fell for a job advertisement. He was reportedly used as a "blood slave" after it was found that he had a rare blood type and large doses of blood were drawn from him to the point he was in a life-threatening situation. 

The story caused a stir among the Chinese public who was in shock. 

The embassy put great attention to the case of the "blood slave" since it was circulating online and urged the Cambodian police to initiate an investigation on February 15. After an initial inquiry, Li's story was deemed as fake. 

This case will be referred to the judicial authorities. 

According to the Jian Hua Daily, a Cambodia-based newspaper run by the local Chinese community, Li said that the local volunteer team was shooting videos and hosting media interviews as they accompanied him for treatment. When Li refused to be filmed, they secretly filmed him while he was asleep.

Li said that he will not acknowledge any of his interviews as previously quoted by other media outlets, Jian Hua Daily reported Friday. 

The embassy vowed to continue to follow up on the case to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the parties concerned, and to effectively protect the lives and property of Chinese nationals in Cambodia.

The Chinese embassy also called on Chinese nationals in Cambodia to abide by the laws of China and Cambodia, rationally defend their rights, and not fabricate rumors to deceive the public. It called on the general public to sharpen their eyes, distinguish right from wrong, and avoid being used by others.

Global Times