Refer China: Theft or Honest Mistake? Foreign Tourist Sparks Online Buzz

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Theft or Honest Mistake? Foreign Tourist Sparks Online Buzz

In recent days, a video showing a heated dispute between a stall owner and foreign tourists at the Binwang Night Market in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, has gone viral on Chinese social media. The clip, widely shared online, initially triggered accusations of "theft" and sparked intense debate about the behavior of tourists and the power of online public opinion.

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In the video, a female stall owner can be seen holding several pieces of clothing while repeatedly accusing the foreign customers in front of her of stealing. She is heard saying, "You stole clothes," and insists that the matter must be handed over to the police. According to what can be heard in the footage, the vendor claims that one of the tourists "took away a grey set earlier, and now has taken a purple set as well."

On the morning of the 23rd, a police officer from the Choucheng Police Station under the Yiwu Public Security Bureau confirmed to reporters that the incident had been officially registered as a case and that officers had been assigned to follow up.

The officer explained that most stalls in the Binwang Night Market have canvas coverings above them, which may partially block the field of view of public surveillance cameras. Whether the entire incident was clearly captured on CCTV in the public areas still needs to be further verified.

Staff from the Binwang Community in Choucheng Subdistrict also told reporters that they were aware of the incident. They noted that, in addition to public security cameras, there are dedicated surveillance systems installed by the night market's management. However, the staff member said that the community office had not yet been directly involved, adding that they would later contact the Binwang joint police service station at the night market to learn more about the situation.

Around midday on the 23rd, a screenshot of what appeared to be a private message from the official "Yiwu Public Security" social media account began circulating online. In the screenshot, the account replies to the original video poster, stating that the incident was not a deliberate theft but rather a case in which the foreign tourists forgot to pay for one of the items of clothing. According to the message, after communication between both sides, the misunderstanding was resolved on the spot and the tourists completed the payment.

Reporters later called the Choucheng Police Station to verify this statement. While the officer did not explicitly repeat the full case details, they did not deny the explanation disclosed by the "Yiwu Public Security" account. The officer emphasized that, "Since the official account has published this, we must have already investigated it," and noted that the police station had reported the outcome of the investigation to the higher-level public security bureau. "The public relations department would definitely verify the facts before releasing any definitive information. Everything should be based on the official announcement," the officer said.

According to further reporting cited by media accounts such as "Xiangyang Video," Yiwu police reiterated that, after investigation, the situation was confirmed to be a case of a foreign visitor forgetting to pay for one piece of clothing. The parties clarified the matter through communication, resolved the misunderstanding, and payment was completed at the scene.

Despite the official clarification, many netizens remain skeptical. In the comment sections under related posts, some users questioned the explanation, arguing that "forgetting to pay is still not paying," and suggesting that such behavior should not be easily dismissed. Others expressed concern about how quickly public opinion can shift once an official statement is released, and debated whether the tourists were treated too harshly.

Source: 红星新闻