In April 2025, 80 tons of dangerous chemicals falsely declared as ordinary goods were intercepted at Xiuying Port in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China, ready to be shipped. Recently, the personnel involved in this case, after reporting to the authorities with no avail, took to the internet to reveal that they have faced suppression from the authorities for insisting on investigating the case and reporting the issue. The whereabouts of these 80 tons of dangerous chemicals have sparked widespread attention on the internet.
According to online reports, in April 2025, four containers declared as “women’s sanitary pads, food, paper rolls” were seized at Xiuying Port. The container doors were stacked with hundreds of boxes of sanitary pads used for concealment. Inside, there were nearly 80 tons of dangerous goods, covering all 9 major categories of maritime dangerous goods except for radioactive materials. The goods included hydrogen peroxide solution, anhydrous ethanol, mercury, sodium hydroxide, lithium batteries, dual-use drugs, as well as civilian explosives and smuggled tobacco.
The personal safety of the frontline staff who reported this matter has been threatened, and the illegal logistics company has yet to be punished. These dangerous goods not only emit various toxic substances but if they were to explode, the impact could be even more severe than the Tianjin Port explosion incident in the past.
Professional assessments reveal that just 3 tons of hydrogen peroxide solution mixed with anhydrous ethanol would reach an equivalent of 1500 kilograms of TNT. In the event of a vapor cloud explosion, the radius of death would be approximately 169 meters, the radius of severe injury 254 meters, and the radius of serious damage exceeding 500 meters, enough to cover the operating area of Xiuying Port and the adjacent residential area along the coastal highway.
Screenshots circulating online show that the whistleblower said, “During the investigation, staff members of the Haikou Port and Shipping Management Bureau, and those handling the case, faced multiple obstacles in advancing the work. Multiple public officials illegally inquired about the case, begged for favors, leaked work schedules… and during the handling of the case, they were illegally punished for enforcement errors and faced retaliation such as improper investigations.”
“The Hainan Provincial Public Security Bureau Port Public Security Bureau initially refused to file a case citing ‘no criminal facts,’ and in the reason for not filing the case, it claimed that ‘the violator falsely declared dangerous goods as ordinary goods just to save procedures and costs, not to endanger public safety.'”
“As of now, the Haikou Transportation and Transportation Bureau continues to exert pressure on relevant officials, refusing to accurately report major safety hazards in dangerous ports to superiors and to clear the names of officials. Furthermore, various complaint channels such as local disciplinary inspection, letters and visits, and the government hotline have been obstructed, and I have no more avenues for complaint, so I have to seek help through internet platforms.”
“For nearly a year, the Haikou Port and Shipping Management Bureau has been unable to properly fulfill its duty in monitoring the dangerous goods in the Xiuying Port area of Haikou Port. Dangerous goods have mysteriously been reclaimed by the Haikou Transportation and Transportation Bureau without any legal inspection procedures, and the port poses a huge risk of accidents.”
Following the widespread attention drawn to this incident, on the evening of August 3, a joint investigation team in Haikou City, Hainan Province, issued a notification stating that recently, netizens posted on social media platforms reflecting issues such as “law enforcement personnel encountering difficulties in filing cases for hiding the transportation of dangerous goods,” “loopholes in port safety production supervision,” and “unfair treatment of law enforcement personnel.”
According to the notification, the public security organs have already filed cases for law enforcement personnel discovering concealed transportation of dangerous goods in June this year; the relevant departments in Haikou are carrying out a 100-day special rectification campaign to eliminate hidden dangers in harbor safety production risks; and investigations are ongoing to understand the individual issues raised.
On the second day after the release of the notification (August 4), the whistleblower appealed to netizens for help on the Weibo account named “那麼厚的一本IMDG,” stating, “Urgent! Please help to report to ‘12337,’ Chang’an Net, and Chang’an Sword public accounts. Currently, the Haikou Transportation and Transportation Bureau claims that the Haikou Investigation Team needs to obtain information about my family members, and my personnel file can be legally retrieved. However, I have not seen any clear investigation requests yet, which is highly abnormal…”
“There is a high probability of the existence of illegal chains such as ‘umbrellas of protection’ and ‘collaborators.’ Even after the Haikou Investigation Team was established, the personal safety of this official cannot be guaranteed… I can only share it this way. I accept a compliant investigation, but I absolutely do not accept investigations that are suspicious and threatening.”
According to the Epoch Times reporter, based on screenshots obtained, a search on Weibo for the above blogger’s account shows that the account is no longer visible. Additionally, some netizens provided feedback that “the blogger cannot be contacted now.”
On August 5, the topic labeled “Haikou 80-ton dangerous chemicals” surged in searches but was quickly suppressed.
Netizens expressed concerns, saying, “The whereabouts of 80 tons of dangerous chemicals at Xiuying Port are unknown, posing a significant safety hazard and requiring everyone’s attention.” “80 tons could easily blow up an entire city.” “With 80 tons, the explosion range would be 13.33 kilometers, whereas the entire urban area of Haikou is only 10 kilometers. If Xiuying Port explodes, the consequences for the whole city of Haikou would be unimaginable. Potential risks assessment: comparable to a small bomb. Do not let Haikou Port become the next Tianjin Port! Continuously monitor closely!!! Where are the 80 tons of dangerous goods now? How are they handled? Who handled them? Who falsely reported and concealed? What is the purpose??”
“Why did it take so many days for this matter to become heated online? What are the relevant departments really doing????” “Only when it climbs up the trending list, will the government investigate. This shows that the formal reporting channels in this society are virtually non-existent, and reporting on the internet is the best option.”
“Why is it trending just to disappear???”