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False Alarm: 9 Strange “Emergency Calls” from China

China’s emergency number ‘110’ is supposed to be used when one needs urgent help from the police. However, some people call 110 with the strangest information and for the weirdest reasons. Here are nine real calls to 110 with very special ’emergencies’.

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READING TIME: 3 MINUTES, 55 SECONDS

 

China’s emergency number ‘110’ is supposed to be used when one needs urgent help from the police, for example when someone is in serious danger or when witnessing a crime. However, some people call 110 with the strangest information and for the weirdest reasons. Here are nine real calls to 110 with very special ’emergencies’.

January 10 is the national day for China’s emergency number 110. For this special occasion, the Chongqing Morning Post has picked a couple of “interesting” cases from the Chongqing 110 control center, causing astonishment amongst China’s netizens (#奇葩报警#) about the reasons for people to call 110. See the following real stories.


1

 

Case 1: Phone needs a top-up

 

Man: Hi 110, my mobile phone is running out of credit. Could you please call this number [xxxx] for me?

110: What is this number?

Man: It’s my friend’s phone.

110: Is your friend requiring help from the police?

Man: No, but could you ask him to top up my mobile credit for me please?

110: All right….

What happened afterwards: the 110 receptionist literally did call the guy’s friend and told him to top up his friend’s phone.

 

2

 

Case 2: Professional salvage

 

110: Hello, Chongqing 110, how can I help you?

Old man: I dropped my certificate of property ownership into a sewer by accident, could you help me to get it out please?

110: Please let us know your exact location. And by the way, is the sewer deep?

Man: No, but it is really dirty. Hurry up a bit! My certificate is sinking!

110: Please wait a moment and keep your phone connected, we will send someone.

 

3

 

Case 3: Get it out of my way!

 

Woman: Hi 110? There is a car in my way!

110: Please tell us the registration plate of the car and your location.

Woman: Registration plate? Yu [for Chongqing] … and something in English that I don’t know. It looks like vertical lines connected with a horizontal line. Looks like a staircase.

110: I guess you mean “H”

Woman: Yes! That’s right!

[Chongqing police notice: Please make sure you provide precise information when calling 110.]

 

4

 

Case 4: Bad joke

 

Girl: 110? I was raped!

110: Please wait a moment, keep your phone connected and we will send someone immediately.

What happened afterwards: when the police arrived on site, the girl who made the call was sitting in an Internet bar. She was playing cards with her friends online. By rule, the person who loses the game has to do something decided by the winner. She lost. Hence she made the call.

 

5

 

Case 5: I’m Here

 

Man: There is a car accident here, please come as soon as possible! [end of call]

110: Hello? Where about are you?

[Calling back] 110: Did you report a car accident just now? Where are you now please?

Man: How come you can’t even find this place here? It is here, just across the bridge! [hangs up again]

110: ……

[Chongqing police notice: please, say the district name first and then the place of event.]

 

6

 

Case 6: A ‘Massacre’

 

110: Hello ChongQing 110, how can I help?

Old Woman: Oh my god, things went terrible wrong! Many people were beaten to dead! So many!

110: Could you tell me more about the details please? And what is your location?

Old Woman: It is xxxxx [the location]

What happened afterwards: when the police arrived, it turned out to be nothing more than an ordinary argument and fight, where both sides only suffered minor injury.

 

7

 

Case 7: Unknown creature

 

110: Hello, Chongqing 110, how can I help?

Man: My pig just gave birth, and it delivered an “elephant”!

110: Could you give me more details please? Where about are you?

Man: I live in xxxx, I had a pig, which delivered an “elephant” just now.

110: All right, please keep your phone on, we will dispatch someone.

What happened afterwards: when the police arrived at the scene of the ‘accident’, the creature turned out to be just a little piggy with a long nose comparing to its siblings.

 

8

 

Case 8: Seasonal greeting

 

110: Hello, Chongqing 110, how can I help?

Old man: How come your guys at 110 are still working? It’s not an easy job, is it? I send you my holiday greetings! I wish you good health!

110: Thank you. How can I help please?

Old man: No, I am only calling to send my greetings.

110: Thank you.

[Chongqing police notice: it’s touching to send your thankful greetings, but in order to keep the telephone line clear for those who needs it, please only call 110 when necessary.]

 

9

 

Case 9: Free lift please!

 

110: Hello, Chongqing 110, how can I help?

Man: Hi, is that 110? Could you help me please? I need a taxi to xxx, but it is really too far and the fare is so expensive. Could you guys please give me a ride, so I can save some costs?

110: Did you lose any valuables?

Man: No, I didn’t. The taxi fare is just too expensive.

 

Conclusion: these are not the ways to call 110.

 

– by Fan Bai

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©2014 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

About the author: Fan Bai is a freelance translator and writer. Born and raised in China, she is now based in the UK.

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China Media

Meanwhile in Panda News: After More Than Two Decades, Yaya Returns to Beijing

From Memphis to Shanghai to Beijing: every step in Yaya’s journey is closely followed by China’s panda fans.

Manya Koetse

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Yaya, the panda, made her way back to Beijing after a residence of more than two decades at the Memphis Zoo and completing her quarantine period in Shanghai. Now, netizens are advocating for the return of three other pandas currently residing in the United States.

It is time for the third ‘Meanwhile in Panda News‘ by What’s on Weibo to keep you updated on the trending panda topics, from the cute to the controversial.

This time, it is all about Yaya (丫丫), the panda that is trending on Weibo in various hashtags these days:

Panda Yaya became one of the most discussed pandas of this year. This female panda resided in the Memphis Zoo in the United States for most of her life and attracted significant attention on Chinese social media platforms after netizens expressed concern about her seemingly thin and unhealthy appearance.

Many netizens were concerned about Yaya due to the condition of her fur. Photo via Weibo user @如皋老猫.

Even though the Memphis care team stated that Yaya’s fur condition is related to her hormones and immune system, these online discussions further intensified in light of escalating tensions between the United States and China.

The concerns surrounding Yaya prompted an online campaign, with netizens advocating for Yaya’s return to China. After residing at the Memphis Zoo in the United States for two decades as part of a conservation and research project, Yaya’s second ten-year term had concluded, and the 23-year-old panda was set to return to Shanghai, China.

Yaya’s return in late April became a true social media spectacle, fuelled by state media outlets that created special posters and videos welcoming Yaya home.

Now, a month later, Yaya is trending again. This time, it is her move from Shanghai to Beijing that is hitting the trending lists. After finishing her quarantaine, Yaya’s new home will be in the Beijing Zoo. Yaya returned to China’s capital, where she was born, by airplane on May 28.

China’s flight home, via Chinese state media on Weibo.

While many people are cheering that Yaya has finally returned home, they are also sad that panda Lele is not with her. Lele (乐乐) was Yaya’s male partner, and the two arrived in Memphis together. Unfortunately, Lele passed away earlier this year due to heart disease.

Around 4 am in the morning on May 29, the official Weibo account of the Beijing Zoo posted a statement about Yaya’s return, confirming that the panda had arrived before 1 am on Monday morning.

A very early morning post by Beijing Zoo confirming the safe arrival of Yaya (screenshot of Weibo, via What’s on Weibo).

Beijing Zoo further wrote that Yaya has her own dedicated enclosure and will need some time to adjust to her new environment and will not be shown to the public for now. They did post a photo and a video of Yaya’s arrival, and promised to give more updates about Yaya via social media.

“Yaya has finally returned home,” some commenters said, “I hope she will have a happy and healthy life there.”

In the meantime, netizens have launched a new online campaign advocating for the repatriation of the pandas Xiao Qiji (小奇迹), Tiantian (添添), and Meixiang (美香), currently residing at the Washington National Zoo.

“They also wanna go home” poster advocating for the return of Chinese pandas Little Miracle, Tiantian, and Meixiang. Source: Weibo.com.

Those advocating for the return of the three pandas are also expressing concerns about their well-being and treatment at the Washington National Zoo. They worry that the pandas may not be receiving adequate food and are particularly concerned about Meixiang’s health.

In 2020, it was reported that the panda couple Meixiang and her partner Tiantian would minimally stay in Washington until December of 2023.

Another poster in the online campaign to advocate for the return home of the three pandas.

Concerned that Meixiang might face a similar fate to Yaya’s late partner Lele, panda enthusiasts on Weibo are urging for the prompt repatriation of the entire panda family. “I’m glad to hear good news about Yaya,” expressed one Weibo user, “Now, I hope we can get good news about Meixiang too.”

 

Read more panda news here.

By Manya Koetse 

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©2023 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers

‘Carpet Pacific’: A Timeline of the Cathay Pacific Scandal Through Weibo Hashtags

Cathay Pacific flight attendants mocking non-English speaking passengers by saying, “If you can’t say blanket, you can’t have it,” has sparked a major controversy and caused a marketing catastrophe.

Manya Koetse

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Last week, Xiamen Airlines was the focus of attention on Chinese social media after one of their pilots was caught secretly filming a female staff members in the ladies room. This week, the focus has shifted to Cathay Pacific, as the Hong Kong-based airline faced accusations of discrimination against travelers from mainland China.

The incident gained significant attention on May 22 when a user of the Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) app shared a public complaint about the Hong Kong airline. In the post, the author, who claimed to have resided in Hong Kong for eleven years, expressed their inability to remain silent after witnessing overt discrimination on a Cathay Pacific CX987 flight from Chengdu to Hong Kong.

The passenger said they were seated near the area where the flight attendants rest and prepare meals, and that they could hear the cabin crew making fun of passengers who could not speak English. Passengers who tried to ask them for help in English about filling out immigration cards allegedly also received impatient responses. The passenger recorded some of their conversation, and later posted the audio clip online.

In one clip, you can hear the staff laughing about a passenger who wanted a blanket but could not properly say it in English. “If you cannot say blanket, you cannot have it,” they joked. Since some passengers allegedly had used the word ‘carpet’ instead of ‘blanket’, the cabin crew can be heard saying: “A carpet is on the floor.”

Since the incident was first exposed on social media, it turned into a major controversy and a marketing crisis for the Cathay Pacific company. As Cathay was condemned by million of netizens, many also vowed to boycott the airline.

Cathay Pacific has been hit hard by the pandemic, and was seeing an increased demand for travel into the Chinese Mainland since quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong the Mainland was finally resumed on January 8 of this year. Cathay is heavily dependent on the Chinese market, and approximately 70% of its revue reportedly comes from China (#国泰航空近七成营收来自中国#).

The incident has ignited anger due to the discriminatory treatment of mainland customers by a Hong Kong company, leading to further discussions on anti-Chinese sentiments in Hong Kong and the role of language in fostering (or hindering) national unity between mainland China and Hong Kong.

This is a timeline of the incident through Weibo hashtags that have gone trending over the past few days.

▶︎ The Cathay Discrimination Audio Leaked Online #国泰空乘歧视乘客录音曝光# (260 million views)

After a netizen posted about supposed discrimination against non-English speaking passengers by cabin crew members on the Cathay Pacific CX987 flight, the incident soon garnered widespread attention on Chinese social media, especially when the 30-second audio was also shared online (hear the audio snippet here).

▶︎ Cathay Pacific Apologizes #国泰航空致歉# (210 million views)

On May 22, Cathay Pacific soon issued a response apologizing for the passenger’s experience and promised a thorough investigation. However, their initial apology was considered inadequate by many netizens, and only sparked more debates about the discrimination against mainland Chinese passengers within Cathay’s work environment.

On May 23, Cathay Pacific issued a second apology via social channels, mentioning that they had contacted the passenger and that they had suspended the flight attendants involved.

▶︎ Cathay Pacific Uses Standard Mandarin to Apologize #国泰航空行政总裁用普通话道歉# (10 million views)

Lin Shaobo apologizes using Standard Mandarin, image via Weibo.com.

During a media briefing in Guangzhou on May 24, Cathay Pacific CEO Lin Shaobo (林绍波) once again expressed his sincere apologies on behalf of Cathay for the incident. In doing so, he used Standard Mandarin, the national language of mainland China.

▶︎ Three Employers Fired for Discriminating Against Passengers #国泰航空3名歧视乘客空乘被解聘# (460 million views)

At this time, it was also announced that Cathay had completed their investigation into the matter and, in accordance with the company’s regulations, had dismissed the three involved cabin crew members. Lin Shaobo clarified that the airline maintains a “zero tolerance” approach towards any employees who violate the company’s rules and ethical standards.

▶︎ Cathay Pacific’s Flight Attendant Union Regrets the Incident #国泰空乘工会对空姐被解聘感到遗憾# (180 million views)

On May 24, there was some online turmoil over a statement issued by Cathay Pacific’s Flight Attendant Union (FAU). In the statement, the union expressed that Cathay is “facing a shortage of both manpower and resources, a significant increase in workload and low salaries.” Because these problems are ignored, Cathay is seeing an “extremely low” morale among cabin crew and more complaints regarding cabin service. “Nothing comes from nothing,” the statement said. The Union was criticized for “whitewashing” the cabin crew’s discrimination against non-English-speakers.

▶︎ No Official Support for The Union #国泰航空称空中服务员工会不代表国泰# (130 million views)

On May 25, Cathay Pacific issued a statement in which they clarified that The Union is an independent labor union and does not represent the company. They also clarified that did not support the union’s position nor agreed with it.

▶︎ Hu Xijin Recommends Mainland Passengers to Speak Mandarin #胡锡进建议乘国泰航空只讲普通话# (910,000 views)

Chinese political & social commentator Hu Xijin (@胡锡进) also responded to the Cathay incident in multiple posts. In one of them, he suggested that mainland passengers should primarily speak Mandarin when they fly Cathay in the future. Since so much of their customer base is from mainland, Cathay should have enough cabin crew speaking Mandarin, he argued. Hu also reflected on how Cathay also caused controversy in 2019, when it would not stop staff from joining the Kong Kong pro-democracy protests. According to Hu, the company should pay attention to “correcting the values” of their employees.

▶︎”Leaked” Internal Email Labeled as Fake News #国泰航空称网传英文内部信件为伪造# (77 million views)

Post by Cathay in which they deny that this “leaked memo” is authentic. Screenshot by What’s on Weibo.

In the meantime, some images circulated online that allegedly showed an internal Cathay Pacific memo by the company’s HK Express CEO Mandy Ng in which a warning was issued to be “cautious when engaging with customers from China and be aware of their media culture.” That memo was labeled as being false by Cathay Pacific.

▶︎ Hong Kong Perfomer Condemns Cathay for Incident #香港演员怒斥国泰空乘歧视乘客# (170 million views)

Hong Kong celebrity Maria Cordero, nicknamed ‘Fat Mama’ (肥妈) went trending on Weibo for condemning the Cathay Pacific crew members in a recent interview. “Is speaking English that important?” she wondered: “The whole world is learning Chinese!” She also expressed that the primary duty of flight attendants is to look after passengers and help solve their problems. If they are incapable of fulfilling their duty, they should be sacked.

▶︎ Blankets for Everyone #旅客称现在国泰的航班挨个发毛毯# (6.5 million views)

According to passengers flying Cathay after the ‘blanket incident,’ the cabin crew went around explicitly asking all passengers if they needed any blankets, making announcements in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

▶︎ Follow-up to the Incident #国泰航空空乘歧视乘客后续# (26 million views)

As the Cathay scandal keeps fermenting online, one commenter expressed a common viewpoint by stating: “If Cathay Pacific is so unwilling to serve Chinese people and they refuse to speak Mandarin, why don’t they clearly state that they don’t welcome Chinese passengers? They can’t have it both ways by earning money from Chinese tickets without providing the same level of service.”

Meanwhile, an online meme has gained popularity, depicting ‘Cathay Pacific’ as ‘Carpet Pacific’ in reference to the controversial comments made by the cabin crew.

Other memes include the quote: “If you cannot say blanket, you cannot have it,” or include the phrase “no zuo no die” – a popular internet meme that basically means ‘what goes around comes around.’

Those flying China Southern Airlines or Eastern Airlines are posting about their warm on-board blankets, joking: “I didn’t even have to say ‘blanket’ and still got it!”

By Manya Koetse

Get the story behind the hashtag. Subscribe to What’s on Weibo here to receive our newsletter and get access to our latest articles:

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

©2023 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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