China Memes & Viral

Chinese Female Bodyguard Goes Viral after Assad’s China Visit

This Chinese female bodyguard and not-so-secret agent suddenly rose to online fame during Assad’s recent visit to China.

Published

2 years ago

October 1, 2023

Manya Koetse

Earlier in September, Syrian President Assad and his wife arrived in Hangzhou before the start of the Asian Games. On September 24, they traveled to Beijing.

There was one person who did not leave the side of Syria’s first lady and who captured significant attention on Chinese social media over the past few days: the Chinese female bodyguard accompanying Asma al-Assad.

The ‘beautiful bodyguard’ accompanying the first lady from the start to the end of her China visit. Images via Xinhua.

Photos and videos of the bodyguard soon spread all over Weibo and on other Chinese social media platforms, where people praised her for her beauty (she looks a bit like Chinese actress Zhao Liying) and dashing posture (“英姿飒爽”), her “eyes blazing like torches” (“目光如炬”), her composed demeanor, and the glimpse she offered into China’s secret service.

The online fascination with the female bodyguard is about more than the combination of her charming looks and professional demeanor; it also related to the gender dynamics of a woman working in a typically male-dominated field.

There is also a nationalistic element to it, and a sense of pride in China welcoming Assad within the context of China as a new world leader. This trip marked Assad’s first venture outside the Middle East since the Syrian crisis began in 2011, and it is his first visit to China since 2004. Syria joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in January 2022.

Some netizens focused on scrutinizing the bodyguard’s appearance, analyzing her outfit and hands to find out more about the protocol and training involved.

For example, some observers noticed that the buttons on her suit jacket were uneven, – the left side of her suit jacket’s buttons were noticeably lower than the right side, – speculating that she might have some kind of weapon concealed in her inside pocket. Leaving the jacket unbuttoned might enable her to go from reaching inside to firing in just a few seconds.

Eye for detail, image by @大A小雷哥.

Others noted how her hand joints appeared thicker than the average woman’s, suggesting that she has undergone extensive training.

One blogger (@诤言无昧) reported that the bodyguard, who gained overnight fame this week, is Yan Yuexia (严月霞). Yan is said to be a special Zhongnanhai foreign guest agent for the Beijing Public Security Bureau.

The same blogger also claims that Yan is trained in diplomatic etiquette, foreign languages, combat, shooting, driving, riot control, swimming, water rescue, and more.

According to Taiwan news outlet United Times, Yan Yuexia was trained in martial arts since she was young.

After graduating from the People’s Public Security University of China, she passed the assessment for the ‘Security Guard Bureau’ of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央办公厅警卫局), earning her position as one of the close protection personnel for China’s national-level leaders and becoming a staff member at the Foreign Affairs Security Bureau’s ‘Foreign Guest Protection Department’ (特勤局外宾警卫).

She is an unexpected viral sensation in light of the China visit by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and wife; the Chinese special agent and female bodyguard who accompanied them during their various activities in China. pic.twitter.com/lPQDEKjxc6

— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) September 27, 2023

It is not the first time that someone working within China’s highest diplomatic circles becomes a viral sensation in China. Besides the popularity of China’s diplomats themselves (read), those working ‘behind the scenes’ are often also greatly admired.

One example is interpreter Zhang Jing (张京), who joined the U.S.-China strategic talks in Anchorage in 2021. She gained popularity and respect for her composed and professional translation of China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi’s (杨洁篪) lengthy speech directed at American Secretary Blinken and National Security Advisor Sullivan. Even during challenging moments, she stayed focused and wasn’t hesitant to suggest that she translate first before moving on to the next speaker.

For many younger netizens, these women, both in terms of their intelligence, strength, and composure, along with their good looks, serve as role models and a source of inspiration.

“I admire her strength,” some commenters write about Yan Yuexia. There are also those, however, who are concerned that the bodyguard’s newfound popularity could jeopardize her status as a secret agent. Some have very different concerns, asking: “I wonder what it would take to marry her?”

By Manya Koetse

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Manya Koetse

Manya is the founder and editor-in-chief of What's on Weibo, offering independent analysis of social trends, online media, and digital culture in China for over a decade. Subscribe to gain access to content, including the Weibo Watch newsletter, which provides deeper insights into the China trends that matter. More about Manya at manyakoetse.com or follow on X.

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China Memes & Viral

Strange Encounter During IShowSpeed’s Chengdu Livestream

The cosplaying girl, who usd the n-word and told the American YouTuber how racist she was, seems to have been referencing a meme.

Published

1 month ago

March 31, 2025

Manya Koetse

After visiting Shanghai, Beijing, and the Shaolin Temple in Henan, popular American YouTuber IShowSpeed (Darren Watkins) livestreamed from Chengdu on March 31.

During his stream, he visited a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, tried acupuncture, had some extremely spicy hotpot, and continued doing the kinds of activities that have defined his China tour so far – from kung fu to the Forbidden City.

The trip has been a success not just for Watkins, who recently surpassed 37 million YouTube subscribers, but also for China’s image abroad. Some have even suggested it’s become more of a soft power or propaganda tour (read more in our latest newsletter).

But not everything has gone smoothly. Within the span of a week, Watkins has become significantly more famous in China. In addition to YouTube — which is not accessible in China — he also began streaming on Douyin. All of this made his March 31st livestream a bit more chaotic, and for the first time, he also experienced some connection issues.

In Chengdu, with as many as 4 million viewers watching the livestream on Douyin, one moment in particular sparked controversy online. Just before Watkins entered a car, a girl in cosplay attire approached him and said:

💬 “I am a racist. I am a ni**a killer. I am so sorry about that. But I love your girlfriend, because your girlfriend is my [white?] people.”

When Watkins asked if she spoke English, she replied:

💬 “Yes, I am a racist. I am racist.”

After the incident, Watkins commented:

💬 “I don’t think she understood what she was saying.”

Watch the video here.

The girl was cosplaying as one of the characters from the mobile role-playing game Blue Archive, most likely Saiba Momoi (才羽モモイ), known for her mouse-like appearance, complete with two ears on top of her head.

On Chinese social media platforms, including Weibo and Xiaohongshu, the moment soon became a point of discussion. Among the commenters, there are those fearing the incident will negatively impact the image of Chengdu, and some suggesting the local Tourism & Culture Board will make sure to blacklist the girl.

Others focused more on the background of the girl, suggesting she is from Japan or Hong Kong, and trying to sabotage Watkins’ positive China trip.

It appears, however, that the female cosplayer may have been referencing the “racist Momoi” or “Saiba Momoi Says The N-Word” meme.

This meme originates from an edited clip of Saiba Momoi, in which she appears to say what sounds like the N-word. According to the Danbooru site, the clip was later modified to include other slurs.

The character has also been linked to the “Nàge song.” As explained in our newsletter yesterday, the song “Sunshine, Rainbow, White Pony” (阳光彩虹小白马) by Chinese singer Wowkie Zhang (大张伟), which repeatedly features the Chinese word nàge in its chorus (meaning “uh” or “that”) — popped up multiple times during Watkins’ trip. The catchy tune essentially became the theme song of his visit.

A few years back, a clip of Watkins first hearing the song and mistaking the chorus for the N-word already went viral on Chinese social media. The confusion between the Chinese filler word and the slur has been extensively joked about by Watkins himself throughout his streams.

The connection between the girl, the Saiba Momoi meme, and the Nàge song, however, is only known to a niche audience. It is possible that the girl tried to be funny, but she obviously failed in doing so.

By Manya Koetse

(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

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China Digital

Chinese Netizens Turn to Tim Cook Over Battery Factory’s Illegal Overtime

Is turning to Western suppliers an effective way for workers to pressure domestic companies into complying with labor laws?

Published

1 month ago

March 20, 2025

Manya Koetse

🇨🇳 CHINA TRENDING WEEK 12: WHAT’S ON WEIBO SHORTS
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Recently, Chinese netizens have started reaching out to Apple and its CEO Tim Cook in order to put pressure on a state-owned battery factory accused of violating labor laws.

The controversy involves the Huizhou factory of Desay Battery (德赛电池), known for producing lithium batteries for the high-end smartphone market, including Apple and Samsung. The factory caught netizens’ attention after a worker exposed in a video that his superiors were deducting three days of wages because he worked an 8-hour shift instead of the company’s “mandatory 10-hour on-duty.” Compulsory overtime violates China’s labor laws.

In response, the worker and other netizens started to let Apple know about the situation through email and social media, trying to put pressure on the factory by highlighting its position in the Apple supply chain. In at least one instance, Apple confirmed receipt of the complaint. (Meanwhile, on Tim Cook’s official Weibo account, the comment section underneath his most recent post is clearly being censored.)

Screenshot of replies on X underneath a post by Tim Cook on International Women’s Day.

The factory, however, has denied the allegations, , claiming that the video creator was spreading untruths and that they had reported him to authorities. His content has since also been removed. A staff member at Desay Battery maintained that they adhere to the 8-hour workday and appropriately compensate workers for overtime.

At the same time, Desay Battery issued an official statement, admitting to “management oversights regarding employee rights protection” (“保障员工权益的管理上存在疏漏”) and promising to do better in safeguarding employee rights.

One NetEase account (大风文字) suggested that for Chinese workers to effectively expose labor violations, reporting them to Western suppliers or EU regulators is an effective way to force domestic companies to respect labor laws.

Another commentary channel (上峰视点) was less optimistic about the effectiveness, arguing that companies like Apple would be quick to drop suppliers over product quality issues but more willing to turn a blind eye to labor violations—since cheap labor remains a key competitive advantage in Chinese manufacturing.

By Manya Koetse

(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

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