[FALSE] Did China donate supplies and cash worth 1.16 billion yuan to Myanmar for a free lunch scheme?

Screenshot of the Facebook post.

The Claim and Our Verdict

• The claim: A Facebook post published Nov. 16, 2021, claims that China donated cash and supplies worth 1.16 billion yuan ($182 million) to Myanmar for a free lunch scheme.
• Fact-checking:
  • The photo presented with the claim came from a press release published Nov. 12, 2021, by China’s embassy in Myanmar. It shows a COVID-19 vaccine handover ceremony in Yangon, Myanmar, not associated with the purported free lunch scheme.
  • China’s embassy in Myanmar responded to our inquiry and refuted the rumor: “The tweet is totally fabricated. The photo shared in the tweet was taken from a news photo of China and Myanmar’s COVID-19 vaccine handover ceremony shared on a Nov. 12 Facebook post by the embassy.”
• Our ruling: Therefore, we rate the claim as FALSE.

News Brief

A screenshot was shared Nov. 16, 2021, on a Facebook post. The post reads, “The fruits of China’s development must be experienced by the people of Myanmar.” The text in the screenshot translates as, “On behalf of the Chinese government, the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Myanmar donated supplies and cash worth 1.16 billion yuan to the Myanmar’s Ministry of Education for the 2022 free lunch scheme for all elementary and secondary school students in Myanmar. Chen Hai, China’s ambassador to Myanmar, said that the fruits of China’s development must be experienced by the next generation of Myanmar.”

As of the issuance of this report, the post had been shared 12 times, and had received 84 comments and 264 likes or reactions.

Fact-checking

A reverse image search found the screenshot in the post came from a press release published Nov. 12, 2021, by China’s Embassy in Myanmar, titled “A new batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Myanmar.” The press release translates as, “On Nov. 12, the first batch of one million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines, from a total of three million doses, donated by the Chinese government arrived at the Yangon International Airport in Myanmar. A virtual handover ceremony was held by Chen Hai, China’s ambassador to Myanmar, and Thet Khaing Win, Myanmar’s minister of health and sports. Economic and Commercial Counsellor Tan Shufu attended the ceremony.” Therefore, this photo is not associated with the purported free lunch scheme.

Screenshot comparison of the press release published by China’s embassy in Myanmar (left) and the screenshot presented with the claim (right).

HKBU FactCheck Service sent an inquiry concerning the claim to China’s embassy in Myanmar. The embassy replied and refuted the rumor: “The tweet is totally fabricated. The photo shared in the tweet was taken from a news photo of China and Myanmar’s COVID-19 vaccine handover ceremony shared on a Nov. 12 Facebook post by the embassy.”

Screenshot of the response from China’s Embassy in Myanmar.