Videos showing some chaotic scenes with dozens of people fleeing a building in Shanghai surfaced on Chinese social media today.

“Are they filming a movie?”, some commenters wondered, with others jokingly suggesting a zombie apocalypse was taking place.

The incident occurred on August 12th at around 3pm at the A1 building of the Oriental Fisherman’s Wharf (东方渔人码头) in Shanghai’s Yangpu District.

Some people joked that a zombie apocalypse was taking place in Shanghai's Yangpu district earlier today, but it was just an alleged abnormal test result and fears of being locked in for 48hrs causing people to flee the scene as soon as they could. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/KBVtqePWln

— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 12, 2022

People inside the premises of the Oriental Fisherman’s Wharf, which is home to a shopping mall and office buildings, allegedly received notice of an abnormal (positive) Covid test result and an ensuing local 48-hour lockdown.

“Once the people inside received the news they fled. They will have to be called back to isolate,” one commenter wrote.

“This is the reason why I don’t go to shopping malls,” another Weibo user replied: “I buy what I can online, and otherwise get it at small roadside stores.”

On Thursday, Shanghai reported 7 Covid cases, the highest number since July 28, breaking a seven-day streak of zero cases. All 7 cases can be traced back to the same location in Shanghai’s Xuhui district (a local foot massage parlor).

Although some commenters on Weibo said they could understand people running away from a potential lockdown, there were also those who said they were being selfish for doing so, as their families might also need to quarantine if they would return home.

Some discussed how Shanghai residents must suffer from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the Shanghai lockdowns earlier this year and the mismanagement of the Covid outbreak.

“I used to think the world was so small,” one netizen writes: “If I didn’t feel good I’d just go to Seoul or Bangkok for the weekend and return in time for work on Monday. I now feel the world is so big. If I go to Shanghai I fear being locked inside the city. The epidemic has changed my view on life, and my view on what happiness is.”

By Manya Koetse

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Perhaps one would not expect Chinese state tabloid Global Times to care about American taxpayers’ money being spent responsibly, but in today’s trending headline on Weibo, they suggest they do:

“As American media have discovered, Pelosi’s son Paul Pelosi Jr., who is not an official nor an adviser to her, has followed Pelosi around Asia at the expense of the American taxpayer,” Global Times wrote.

The topic “Pelosi Secretly Brought her Son to Visit Taiwan” (#佩洛西窜台偷偷带儿子#) garnered over 380 million views on Weibo on Friday.

Earlier this week, various American media outlets, including The New York Post, reported that the 53-year-old Pelosi Jr. ​traveled together with Nancy Pelosi during her Asia trip, but his name was not included in the official list of officials on the trip released by the speaker’s office.

The Chinese-language Global Times report on this issue is largely based on America’s Fox News host Jesse Watters reacting to Nancy Pelosi bringing her son on the Asia trip in his ‘Primetime’ show, with many of his words being directly translated in the Chinese news report: “He is not an elected official, he is not an advisor Nancy, he doesn’t even live in Washington, but he was greeted as royalty by the President of Taiwan.”

Jesse Watters’ suggested that Pelosi Jr. was involved in “shady” business, being on the payroll of two lithium mining companies and then visiting Taiwan, a world leader in lithium battery production. “Prince Pelosi will go wherever the money is,” Watters said, a sentiment that was reiterated by Global Times.

During a press conference, Pelosi confirmed that her son had joined her on the trip, saying: “His role was to be my escort. Usually, we – we invited spouses. Not all could come. But I had him come. And I was very proud that he was there. And I’m thrilled – and it was nice for me.”

When Pelosi was asked if her son had any business dealings while they were in Asia, she replied: “No, he did not. Of course, he did not.”

In response to Pelosi’s highly controversial visit to Taiwan, the Chinese government took sanctions against Pelosi and her immediate family.

According to Global Times, this might also affect Paul Pelosi Jr., who allegedly sought business opportunities in China via two companies, International Media Acquisition Corp and Global Tech Industries Group.

Some Chinese online satire showing Tsai Ing-wen crying, Taiwan surrounded by the Chinese military, and a smiling Pelosi with her long tall hat flying away on her broom with a U.S. flag cape saying "I standed [sic] with Taiwan!" pic.twitter.com/4w5hdxhoPR

— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 12, 2022

Many netizens are also ridiculing ‘Little Paulie’ (小保罗), especially because, based on the reports, they had somehow expected Pelosi’s son to be a child or young man instead of a 52-year-old. Part of the confusion stems from the Chinese translation for “Jr.”, xiǎo (小), which also means “little.”

“He’s 52! I though we were talking about a little kid,” some wrote, with others calling him a ‘mama’s boy.’

“That entire family will just do anything for money,” others wrote.

More than a week after Pelosi’s visit, news of ‘Little Paul’ joining her on the controversial trip just reinforces existing narratives on Chinese social media, led by official media, that Pelosi’s Taipei decision was more about self-interest than serving her country – and its taxpayers.

By Manya Koetse

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