Recently, the scandal of mixed-loading incidents involving oil tankers in mainland China has caused a public outcry. Journalist Han Futao from the New Beijing News, who reported on this issue, has been reported missing, and his Weibo account has been deactivated. In response to this, Yamada Akio, a Japanese media person who grew up in China, pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party once again “got rid of” those who raised questions.
Yamada Akio posted on Facebook that in recent days, food safety issues have once again become a focus of concern in Chinese society, sparked by a report published by the New Beijing News. The report, which began its investigation in May 2024, revealed that some oil tankers in China, after transporting kerosene, were not cleaned and then loaded with edible oil, potentially contaminating the edible oil with kerosene and sparking a food safety storm. This report has raised concerns among many consumers, as consumption of edible oil contaminated with kerosene over a prolonged period can lead to poisoning and damage to the kidneys and liver.
On July 2, the New Beijing News published an investigative report jointly conducted by reporter Han Futao and others, revealing that some oil tankers in China used the same tank to transport both edible oils such as syrup and soybean oil and chemical oils such as kerosene. The oil tanker, after unloading kerosene, did not wash the tank, directly loaded with edible soybean oil and left the factory area. The report implicated a large number of state-owned and private enterprises including edible oil companies Yihai Kerry Golden Dragon Fish Food Group, Huifu Grain and Oil Group, Shandong Luhua Group, and China Grain Reserves Corporation.
Yamada Akio stated that the state-owned enterprise named in the report, China Grain Reserves Corporation, responded afterwards, stating that the company “attaches great importance, takes prompt action, draws lessons from it, and conducts a thorough special investigation across the whole system.” However, the results emphasized that there were no problems, stating that “the product indicators fully comply with national standards, and the company fully fulfills its regulatory responsibilities.” They also announced the suspension of cooperation with the transportation unit they subcontracted to. Due to the lack of detailed explanation from China Grain Reserves Corporation regarding the investigation results and shifting of responsibility onto the transportation operators, consumers have expressed great dissatisfaction.
Netizens in mainland China criticized, “Where is the regulatory department when unloading coal oil directly to load edible soybean oil?” “It’s terrifying, in this world, money is prioritized over everything.” “Those who eat special supplies don’t care.” “China’s food safety only belongs to the privileged and the wealthy.”
Yamada Akio stated that shortly after the article was published, the chief reporter of the New Beijing News, Han Futao, went missing and his personal “Weibo” account was deactivated. Meanwhile, the freight platform “Fahuo Bang,” which was used during the interviews to check the driving records of oil tankers, has also removed the query function for truck driving data. As expected, this matter has been “successfully resolved” by the Chinese Communist Party once again. Instead of resolving the problem, they have “resolved the individuals who raised the issue.”
Yamada Akio said that such actions have severely damaged the credibility of the Chinese Communist government. As a media person, he salutes the journalist Han Futao, who faced immense pressure and dug out the truth. It is because of journalists like him that society can progress. He hopes that the Chinese authorities will treat him well and that he can return to a normal life soon.
The “Coal-oil Tanker Mixing Edible Oil” incident in China has sparked public criticism. According to mainland netizens, this is not the first time similar cases have been exposed by the media. As early as 2015, in a news program called “Truth Investigation” on Hunan Urban and Jiangshi TV, reporters received tips that in regions such as Hengyang and Yongzhou in Hunan, many tankers, after transporting highly corrosive chemicals, loaded other goods to save costs and prevent empty return trips back to the area.
Yamada Akio pointed out that ironically, in stores and supermarkets across China, there were people lining up to buy locally produced edible oil. On e-commerce platforms, household oil presses suddenly became popular, with people “refining oil” at home for safety. Additionally, Japanese edible oils, which have been boycotted by Chinese nationalists, have become very popular. It is said that recently, when Chinese people travel to Japan, edible oil is the most popular souvenir to bring back home. Chinese people are no longer afraid of “nuclear radiation” in Japanese food.