On June 14th, the 22nd World Blood Donor Day was observed and celebrated globally. Two days prior, the Chinese National Health Commission held a meeting acknowledging a downward trend in voluntary blood donations worldwide over the past two years. The Commission urged the public to donate blood voluntarily, but this call faced resistance, with some netizens likening the action to being sucked dry by vampires. Comments included, “There are too many ‘blood-sucking locusts’ – blood donation is free, but blood transfusions are expensive” and “Let the Party members and officials lead by example in donating blood.”
On June 12th, the Chinese National Health Commission held a press conference stating that China’s demand for clinical blood continued to rise due to various factors, yet voluntary blood donations in 2024 had decreased compared to previous years. The commission urged more people to donate blood voluntarily.
A mainland Chinese citizen, Mr. Li, expressed to a media outlet, “The Chinese government’s rhetoric sounds good – donors who give blood voluntarily are promised free blood transfusions when needed, but in reality, it is not the case.” He added, “Donating blood without charge does not equate to receiving free transfusions when needed. After donating blood, they match your organ type without disclosing this information, which everyone should be aware of.”
Mr. Long, a media professional in mainland China, shared his experience, stating, “I have donated blood four or five times. My wife, who is physically weak and has anemia, also holds two blood donation cards, but whenever she signs, she only writes the number 7, which is strange.” He continued, “It’s like a horror show – everything appears good on the surface, policies are well laid out, and everything seems good in theory, but the actual execution is extremely challenging. It’s not as simple as donating blood a few times and then receiving free services.”
Mr. Long emphasized, “We have witnessed firsthand that everything the Chinese government says and does is deceiving. Hospitals collect these precious resources under the guise of free donation, but in reality, they profit off them. Behind all this lies a capitalist motive, a massive power group operating within the system.” He concluded, “When they profit, they acquire these resources for free, but when it comes to utilizing them on the blood donors, it becomes far more complicated.”
Through these instances, Mr. Long highlighted how people have awakened to the fact that this is a scam; they will no longer be fooled. The existence of blood serves the interests of the elite, bringing them benefits.
In late 2022, a high school student named Huxinyu from Shangrao, Jiangxi, went missing on his way from the dormitory to the classroom during evening self-study, a distance of only 100 meters. Several foreign media outlets reported that organ trafficking may be involved, leading many parents to caution their children against participating in school health check-ups and blood tests.
Mr. Long expressed concerns, saying, “Our neighbor’s child is going from primary to middle school, and the school requires a blood test, which is a very terrifying and dangerous situation.” He added, “If the blood test data is stored in a database and combined with organ donation consent, the risk to the child becomes unavoidable. Such risks must be taken seriously by both children and parents as it is a reality.”
China is a prominent player in the field of organ transplants, with former Chinese Health Minister Huang Jiefu stating at the 2020 Organ Transplantation Science Forum that China’s organ transplant industry has developed rapidly but still cannot meet the needs of socioeconomic development. He expressed the hope that by 2023, China would become the world’s leading organ transplant nation.
Mr. Long believes that this connection between capital and power poses significant risks and dangers in the realms of blood donation and testing.
He shared instances of hospitals using blood tests as a pretext to draw blood, with Mr. Liu from Liaoning recounting his experience of undergoing sinus surgery where he was made to provide six vials of blood. Similarly, for a gastrointestinal examination, he had to give eight vials of blood, leaving him feeling disoriented afterward. These actions driven by self-interest lead doctors to lose their sense of ethics and treat people as mere subjects to exploit for profit.