News channel Republic Bharat aired information from a sarcastic tweet thread shared by journalist Georg Fahrion – German news website Der Spiegel's Beijing correspondent – as real "exclusive news" from China.
Responding to some of the comments on his thread, Fahrion also clarified that he was joking. He also acknowledged that an Indian TV channel had picked up his thread and was reporting on it.
The tweets and the bulletin come amid rumours on social media, about Chinese President Xi Jinping allegedly being under house arrest, followed by claims of a 'coup' taking place in China.
This was after Jinping was said to be missing from public events after returning from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Reports indicate that Jinping is likely to be in quarantine after returning from overseas, owing to China's strict protocol regarding COVID-19 isolation, and not under house arrest.
'REBUPLIC'S NEWS BULLETIN ON CHINA COUP'
Hindi news channel Republic Bharat aired a bulletin with visuals and inputs from journalist Georg Fahrion's sarcastic Twitter thread, which carried visuals of China and so-called "elite forces" and reinforcements.
The anchors discussed how "elite forces" were outside Xinhua Gate, which was outside the Chinese President Xi Jinping's residence, discussing a "coup" after military mobilisation. The channel aired "exclusive photos" from Beijing of Jinping's "house arrest," asking why China's state media, as well as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had not made any statements regarding the coup.
The matter was discussed with guests on the show, along with a discussion on China's economy and the United States' intervention in its Taiwan issue, as well as the COVID-19 situation and lockdowns in the country.
It also aired a section about Jinping's possible third term as president, and how a "coup" would still bring back the CCP, only removing Jinping as the head.
WAS ACTUALLY A JOURNALIST'S SARCASTIC TAKE
Well, the fact is that the news that the channel aired was a Twitter thread by Der Spiegel journalist Georg Fahrion, in which he sarcastically discusses the "disturbing finds" he came across while investigating the "coup" in China at "considerable personal risk."
He shared photographs of locations around Beijing, saying that "thugs" had swarmed the Tiananmen Square in plainclothes.
"I've been in China long enough to know these are not tourists," he jests.
Sharing more visuals to aid his narrative, he remarked how the roads were closed for "civilian traffic."
His tweets and pictures were picked up by the channel and passed off as "exclusive news" of military presence on the streets and outside Jinping's alleged residence, supporting social media rumours of an alleged "coup" in China.
In one of the tweets, Fahrion showed a picture of what he said were "elite paratroopers" outside the Xinhua Gate, and the same was picked up by Republic Bharat and aired as "elite forces" standing outside the gate, guarding Jinping during his alleged "house arrest."
(Note: Swipe right to view both images.)
Fahrion's tweet showing the Xinhua Gate, claiming to show "elite paratroopers disguised as five middle-aged dudes (sic.)"
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
Even while responding to people, Fahrion had said that he was joking in his thread.
He even addressed the fact that his thread had been picked up by an Indian TV channel, stating that "two things are infinite, the universe and man's stupidity."
The Quint has reached out to journalist Georg Fahrion for his comments, and will update the article as and when they are received.
Evidently, a sarcastic Twitter thread on the rumours of a coup in China and the house arrest of its President Xi Jinping was picked up by Hindi news channel Republic Bharat as legitimate information on the alleged events.
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