Fact check: Video of Chinese tanks was captured in Rizhao, not at Henan bank protests

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
116

The claim: Video shows tanks being deployed to stop bank protests in China

Since April, four major banks in China's Henan Province have frozen millions of dollars in deposits, causing hundreds of thousands of people to lose their livelihoods, according to CNN. The resulting protests have been met with violent crackdowns by police.

Numerous users on social media have uploaded a video purportedly showing Chinese tanks being sent to combat these protests. It shows tanks lining up on a city street while pedestrians watch.

“China has deployed tanks to prevent a run on their banks,” a July 21 Facebook post claims. “The reason(s) for the run on the banks is complex but a ‘major power’ deploying tanks for use against their own population is significant nonetheless…”

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The video garnered more than 2,000 likes in its first five days of being posted on the platform. Other viral iterations have been published on Facebook and Twitter.

Context clues in the video prove it was captured in Rizhao, China, however, not Henan, where the bank protests have taken place.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the claim for comment.

Video was captured in Rizhao Province

The bright yellow lights of a hotel can be seen in the background of the video. They match the nighttime appearance of the Ji Hotel, also known as the Hanting Hotel Rizhao Railways Station, in Rizhao.

Rizhao is more than 300 miles away from Henan.

When an Associated Press reporter called the front desk at the Ji Hotel, a staff member said the tanks passed the building on July 17 as part of an annual military exercise. The France 24 Observers team reached out to the Jinjian Inn on the same street and was told the same thing.

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As reported by the France 24 Observer, the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration had released an announcement that large-scale military activities would be taking place in the Yellow Sea region bordering Rizhao between July 14 and 16.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that a video shows Chinese tanks being deployed to repress bank protests. The video was captured in Rizhao; the bank protest have taken place in Henan. The cities are more than 300 miles apart.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video of Chinese tanks unrelated to Henan bank protests