An influencer in China has claimed that a married official dumped her to marry another of his mistresses. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin/Weibo
BEIJING: The revelation by an influencer in China about her affair with a government official – who later dumped her to marry another mistress – has sparked an online storm.
It has also raised suspicions about the possible misuse of public funds and abuse of public power.
The scandal surfaced on October 22 when the woman, surnamed Ye, from Xiamen, Fujian province, southeastern China, revealed through a series of online posts that she had been involved in an affair with Zhong Shaozhen.
Born in 1987, Zhong is an official at the Xiamen Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Detachment, which belongs to the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
In her posts, Ye said that she met Zhong in December 2022 and detailed how he supported her during tough times. After that, the two quickly fell in love and moved in together.
“At that time, I was unaware he was already married with two children and that he had a mistress who had been waiting for him for 10 years. But I became his fourth lover,” she wrote.
Ye also revealed that during their 20-month relationship, they shared many wonderful moments and had even planned to marry and move abroad.
“Zhong once said he did not want to lose me, and I meant more to him than his life. In just 20 short months, he took me on numerous trips across the country. His love was fake, but mine was real!” she said.
Their relationship ended abruptly when she discovered that Zhong intended to marry the “third mistress” this October.
“One day, I went through his phone. That third woman endured so much and finally succeeded. He called to tell me he does not love me any more. I’m not jealous, but I am completely devastated,” she said.
Ye, who uses the psuedonymn Mona on social media, currently has 235,000 followers on just one platform and her profile shows she is 26 years old.
The Xiamen Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Detachment issued a statement on October 24 confirming that Zhong had engaged in improper conduct during his marriage and caused a negative impact.
Zhong received a formal punishment of administrative demerit.
However, the punishment was not enough for many on mainland social media.
“Only a demerit as punishment? That is really laughable,” said one person.
Others raised concerns about the potential misuse of public funds and abuse of power, questioning how Zhong could afford extensive travel across the country during their relationship.
“In those 20 months together, they travelled everywhere across the country. Can a department-level official’s legitimate income really support this kind of lifestyle?” one online observer asked.
“Is he just busy having affairs all day? When does he work?” said another.
The authorities have not yet responded to these specific concerns. - South China Morning Post
