🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China – Week 17
This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.

It has already been over seven weeks since the Suzhou Marathon took place, but it was trending again today in light of a statement that has come out regarding a particular situation.

During the March 2nd Suzhou Marathon, which had over 25,000 participants, images and videos went viral showing how some runners stopped to take a toilet break and urinated against the main sign of the Jiangsu Suzhou Experimental Middle School (江苏省苏州实验中学).

At the time, the Suzhou Marathon soon released an official statement denouncing the “uncivilized” behavior of the runners.

Other images showed that there were portable toilets set up along the route, but even there, there were runners urinating in public.

Portable toilets along the route.

Runner urinating behind the portable toilets.

On April 24, the Chinese Athletics Association (中国田径协会, CAA), the national governing body for athletics in China, issued a statement saying that, according to the association’s disciplinary regulations, ten participants who urinated against the school sign have been banned from participating in any marathon affiliated with the CAA for the next three years, until March 1, 2028.

The Chinese Athletics Association further stated that they have decided to revoke Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for event certification in 2026.

Although most online commenters agree that the runners should be punished for their behavior, some also note that it seems “unfair” that Suzhou Marathon also cannot apply for organizing its 2026 marathon:

💬 “(..) because of the uncivilized behavior of just 10 people, Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for certification from the Chinese Athletics Association in 2026 was directly cancelled. Isn’t this kind of penalty a bit unfair to Suzhou? After all, just 20 meters away from where those people were peeing, there were many portable toilets set up.”

Just around the corner from where the runners urinated in public, there were plenty of portable toilets set up.

Where they peed against the wall, and the toilets nearby.

The punishment for the Suzhou Marathon seems to be a classic case of “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” (杀鸡儆猴): a drastic measure that sends a clear message to other marathons. Not only should they provide plenty of portable toilets, but they must also enforce measures or assign staff to ensure that another “pissing gate” doesn’t happen in the future.

 
By Manya Koetse with contributions by Miranda Barnes

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Do you know who Li Gang is? On April 22, 2025, it is the name that is top trending on Chinese social media platforms Weibo, Douyin, and Kuaishou, following the news that Li Gang was arrested (#李刚被逮捕#) and suspected of accepting bribes.

Li Gang is the former head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office (纪检监察组) at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission (NSC). The CCDI (中央纪委) is China’s top internal Party watchdog, while the NSC (国家监委) is the anti-corruption agency at the state level. Together, they form the most powerful Party-state anti-corruption force in the country.

The 59-year-old Li Gang is — or rather, was — an experienced Party member and senior investigator who led the team at the Central Organization Department.

Of course, there is great irony in the fact that the very person whose job it was to act as an internal watchdog overseeing and investigating corruption among officials is now accused of accepting bribes himself. According to China Daily, Li associated with political fraudsters and resisted organizational investigations. He accepted banquets that compromised the impartial execution of his duties, illegally took money and goods, and abused his position for personal gain and to benefit others in various ways.

Li, born and raised in Sichuan Province, joined the Communist Party in 1986. Over the years, he held various positions, including Deputy Party Secretary of his native Dazhu County, Party Secretary of Zigong city, and Vice Governor of Sichuan Province. In 2023, he was appointed head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office at the Central Organization Department.

Many commenters on social media call Li Gang a “traitor” or “mole” (内鬼 nèiguǐ). One Weibo blogger (@张胜军), along with one commenter (@第一球迷胖哥), wrote:

💬 “This is truly a case of breaking the law while enforcing it (执法犯法), like a thief crying ‘stop the thief’ (贼喊捉贼), and they got caught in the end.”

💬 “The case of Li Gang exposes the problem of how some officials have lost their ideals and are just hungry for power. Public opinion is calling for systematic limitations to leave less room for corruption, and to strengthen the normalization of oversight for the ‘key minority’ [the power elite].”

Besides the comments pointing out the irony of Li being caught for bribery given his position, and those calling him a disgrace to Sichuan Province, many netizens are also noting the familiarity of his name.

For many Chinese, the name Li Gang—especially in connection with power abuse—brings to mind another official associated with the famous online meme “My Dad is Li Gang.”

In October 2010, 22-year-old Li Qiming (李启铭), while driving under the influence, hit two female college students at Hebei University, killing one and seriously injuring the other. After fleeing the scene, he was arrested and infamously said: “Sue me if you dare! My dad is Li Gang!” His father, also named Li Gang, was the deputy director of the local public security bureau in Baoding.

Despite efforts by authorities to suppress the story at the time, “My Dad is Li Gang” (“我爸是李刚”) quickly went viral, becoming a nationwide meme. The phrase inspired widespread online creativity, including a contest encouraging netizens to incorporate the quote into classical Chinese poetry—drawing thousands of humorous and satirical entries.

The humor extended offline as well. Road safety signs in Guangxi read: “Dear friends, drive slowly. Your father is not Li Gang” (“朋友，开慢点, 你爸不是李刚”). Car stickers appeared with slogans like: “Don’t touch me, my dad is Li Gang” (“别碰我，我爸是李刚”).

Li Qiming was eventually sentenced to six years in prison for the accident, but the phrase “My Dad is Li Gang” lived on as a meme to expose and mock abuses of power.

The other Li Gang tearfully apologizing for his son’s actions back in 2014.

The sentence resurfaced in June 2014, when the phrase “Do you know who my dad is?” (你知道我爸是谁啊) became a trending topic on Weibo. This followed an incident during the college entrance exams in Fuxin, where a student arrived at school in a BMW and was caught cheating on his phone. When confronted by a teacher, he attacked her, shouting: “Do you know who my dad is? You still dare to check me?”

That moment also drew comparisons to the Li Gang meme. The phrase “Do you know who my dad is?” reflects the attitude of a group often labeled as fù’èr dài (富二代, “Second-Generation Rich”) and guān’èr dài (官二代, “Second-Generation Officials”)—those who believe they are untouchable due to their parents’ status. This attitude is closely tied to fraud, corruption, and power abuse—not just by the children themselves, but by their parents as well.

The current Li Gang incident brings everything together for many people, though it has also led to some confusion: “Which Li Gang is this? Is this the Li Gang from ‘My Dad is Li Gang’?” The current Li Gang is actually much higher in position than the one from 2010.

“Again, another Li Gang,” some say. “Another corrupt official.”

Although the name Li Gang itself may not be so special—many people have an uncle or neighbor with the same name—the current trending Li Gang news story now inevitably links the name with power abuse, entitlement, and corruption, but also with the idea that eventually, those who do wrong will be punished.

As of On April 7, 2025, Li has been expelled from the Communist Party and dismissed from public office. His case has now been transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.

By Manya Koetse

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Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

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