Zhao Lanjian accuses New York Times of colluding with the CCP to fabricate in the case of the Chain Lady.

The “Iron Chain Woman” case in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, has been ongoing for over three years since it was first exposed in early 2022, and the official conclusion about the identity of the “Iron Chain Woman” continues to be highly contested. The woman known as the “Iron Chain Woman” was previously reported to have been kept in a mental hospital for many years. Former Chinese journalist Zhao Lanjian recently called on the world not to forget about the plight of the “Iron Chain Woman” and accused The New York Times of collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party in fabricating the story surrounding the “Iron Chain Woman” incident.

In early 2022, a video circulating online showed a woman in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, being chained with an iron chain around her neck, imprisoned for a long time, and having given birth to eight children, sparking public outrage. This woman became known as the “Iron Chain Woman.”

It is believed by the public that the “Iron Chain Woman” is actually Li Ying, a girl from Sichuan who was abducted at the age of 12. However, the Chinese authorities claim that the “Iron Chain Woman” is Yang Xia (Yang Qingxia), also known as Xiao Huamei from Yagucun, Fugong County, Yunnan, and have provided DNA test results and conducted interviews to support their claim. However, netizens have pointed out that the appearance of the “Iron Chain Woman” is completely different from the official profile of Xiao Huamei, leading to strong doubts about the five consecutive official reports.

Former Chinese mainland investigative journalist Zhao Lanjian visited Yunnan twice to conduct on-site investigations. In the video he captured, Xiao Huamei’s uncle denied that the “Iron Chain Woman” was Xiao Huamei. Zhao Lanjian faced suppression after he presented evidence to the authorities and eventually fled to the United States.

On March 7th of this year, The New York Times published an article titled “The ‘Iron Chain Woman’ Incident is Far From Over: Silence, Repression, and Secret Resistance,” written by reporter Wang Yuemei.

Also on March 7th, Zhao Lanjian published an article on X platform, stating that the most decisive clues in the “Iron Chain Woman” case are the government-provided fake marriage certificate and the testimonial evidence from Xiao Huamei’s uncle, which directly contradicts the government’s narrative.

Zhao Lanjian criticized former Chinese journalist Deng Fei for initially releasing the fake marriage certificate between the “Iron Chain Woman” and Dong Zhimin, which indirectly helped the Chinese government control public opinion, leading to the “legalization” of the “Iron Chain Woman” incident and ultimately paving the way for her confinement in a mental hospital. He pointed out several suspicious aspects of the marriage certificate, including missing identity information, illegal registration organization, discrepancies in dates, and incorrect names.

In his article, Zhao Lanjian accused The New York Times of deliberately avoiding the core evidence that could overturn the government lies in their coverage of the “Iron Chain Woman” case. He alleged that The New York Times reporter Wang Yuemei, who was one of the first foreign journalists to contact him, chose to withhold evidence that could expose the truth and instead bought time for the Chinese government’s fabrication strategy.

Zhao Lanjian criticized The New York Times for deliberately ignoring the testimonial evidence provided by Xiao Huamei’s uncle, which not only directly refuted the government’s lies but also led to Zhao Lanjian being interrogated by the police three times.

Zhao Lanjian highlighted that The New York Times article mentioned, “The government said Dong Zhimin has been imprisoned, and the woman has been properly cared for.” The subtext of this statement implies that the government has resolved the issue, and public opinion should now relax. However, the so-called “proper care” actually refers to the “Iron Chain Woman” being detained in a mental hospital for an extended period, deprived of all freedom. This endorsement is essentially supporting the narrative of the Chinese Communist government.

In 2024, Wang Yuemei approached Zhao Lanjian to write a report titled “Who Suppressed the Truth of the Iron Chain Woman,” but she had already contacted him in early 2022, possessing all the critical evidence, yet chose not to report it. Even after three years of continued communication, she had not reported on this core evidence.

“When the truth needed to be revealed the most, they chose to remain silent. When the government needed a voice, they chose to stand with them. When the tide passed, they emerged pretending to be the ‘exposers.’ This is not journalism; this is opportunism,” Zhao Lanjian wrote.

During the peak of the Iron Chain Woman case, The New York Times mentioned in an article, “The fate of the ‘Iron Chain Woman’ could happen in any country, including the United States, where there are numerous cases of human trafficking and abductions.”

Zhao Lanjian criticized The New York Times for diverting attention, alleviating pressure for the Chinese government, and attempting to draw parallels between Chinese and American cases to diminish public outrage, which is a typical strategy to cool down public opinion. However, in the United States, the victim of the “Iron Chain Woman” case eventually won the lawsuit, highlighting judicial justice, while the Chinese victim continues to be permanently deprived of freedom.

Zhao Lanjian concluded by stating that in the fight for the Iron Chain Woman, every person’s choice will be recorded. Those who have suppressed the truth will ultimately be held accountable by history.

No response has been received from The New York Times for comments on this matter.

On the occasion of the third anniversary of the “Iron Chain Woman incident,” a mainland individual revealed the recent situation of the “Iron Chain Woman,” stating that she has been kept in a mental hospital and has not returned to her village for three years. The atmosphere in her original village remains tense, with out-of-town relatives and friends needing to contact villagers before entering. Overseas netizens have expressed concerns about the conditions of the “Iron Chain Woman.”