Rumors exploded across Chinese social media claiming that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had died in detention. Beijing quickly pushed back — but the signals didn’t stop there. A nationwide “Delta Action” ad featuring decapitation imagery flooded major cities. Then Xinhua aired a carefully staged “bite the bun” video that many netizens read as dark political satire aimed at Xi Jinping. Coincidence? Or coded messaging in the middle of a high-level power struggle? In this episode, we break down the execution rumors, the symbolism, and the growing information war shaping China’s political atmosphere.
Source: From Execution Rumors to Decapitation Humor: Beijing’s Information War
