On October 28, 2024, netizens pointed out that during a visit to a poor household in Heilongjiang, a village Communist Party branch secretary was seen wearing an Hermès belt and arrived in a Toyota Land Cruiser suspected of costing over a million yuan, sparking discussions on the internet.
According to Da Wann News, an article titled “Caring for the People, Selfless Dedication – A Report on Wang, Secretary of the Party Branch in Xincun Village, Linyuan Town, Datong District, Daqing City” was posted on an app on October 27 and attracted attention. However, the link to the report is now unavailable.
In a photo from the aforementioned report, Village Secretary Wang was seen holding something in the muddy yard of a villager’s home, with an off-road vehicle parked outside. Some netizens claimed that the vehicle appeared to be a Toyota Land Cruiser. It is currently unverified whether the car belongs to Wang.
The model of the vehicle has been discontinued, and public information indicates that the guiding price of the car in 2016 ranged from over six hundred thousand to over one million one hundred thousand yuan. In another photo from the report, Wang is seen inside a villager’s home, and the belt around his waist appears to bear the logo of the luxury brand Hermès.
Reporters from Da Wann News contacted the Discipline Inspection Commission of Datong District and the government of Linyuan Town in Daqing City, Heilongjiang, on October 28 but did not receive a response regarding the matter. A staff member from the relevant department of Datong District Committee told the reporter, “We are still verifying the information and will handle it once confirmed.”
On the morning of the 28th, multiple attempts by The Paper to contact Wang via phone calls and text messages were unsuccessful as no one answered the calls or replied to the messages. A staff member from the Propaganda Department of Datong District Committee stated that the matter was being addressed and further details needed to be consulted with the Internet Information Department. When The Paper dialed the phone number provided by the Internet Information Department, an operator said they would “ask the leader” and then hung up. A staff member from the Discipline Inspection Commission of Datong District mentioned that the specific details should be in accordance with the response from the Propaganda Department.
This incident has sparked heated discussions on the internet.
Netizens commented, “The reason for poverty has been found,” “This should be the first time you hope what you wear is a knock-off.” “I saw it with my own eyes, former officials in our place grabbed millions of yuan. Even if it increased, it never decreased,” “Don’t treat village secretaries like small officials, they are quite powerful,” “Which village secretary doesn’t have assets worth millions?” “This is nothing, there are more who wear low-key old shoes in public.”