Photo: Screenshot from WeChat

Two men have been detained for fabricating news, in an attempt to attract online attention, that two male giant pandas had successfully mated in the wild, local public security bureau in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, announced in a statement on Sunday. 

According to the statement released by the Chenghua branch of Chengdu Public Security Bureau, the police launched an investigation after receiving public reports of online accounts spreading false information about the city. The police immediately launched an investigation and began collecting evidence. 

Through investigation, two men, one surnamed Dong, 29, from Huludao city in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, and the other surnamed Gao, 33, from Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang Province, were found to have deliberately distorted facts and used technical means to forge a news screenshot titled “Chengdu: two male Sichuan giant pandas successfully mate in the wild for the first time.” They posted the fake news online, causing widespread false interpretations, disrupting online order, and producing negative social impact, the statement said. 

In accordance with related laws and regulations, Dong and Gao were placed under administrative detention and their online accounts were shut down for deliberately spreading false information and disrupting public order. 

Global Times