Zhang Hongming, the man behind the Learn from Xi Fan Club.
Does incoming President Xi Jinping have a stalker? After months of anonymous posts, the blogger behind the “Learn from Xi Fan Club” Weibo account (@学习粉丝团) revealed himself in an interview with the Associated Press earlier today. Followed by over 825,000 people, the account is filled with photos of Xi traveling the country. Zhang Hongming, a migrant worker from Sichuan Province, told the AP he wanted to end speculation about his identity. He even posted a photo of himself on Weibo, tucked under the covers to fight the cold. Zhang left this final message to his readers:
@xuexifensituan: Farewell. I came with joy, I leave in sorrow. Tears are all I can give, torment is all I can keep. Despite my suffering, I must persevere a while longer. Thank you to all my disciples and fans. Perhaps our countrymen aren’t ready for us. I am full of self-reproach and regret. If you share my interests, send me a private message: 605789327 I’m at: http://t.cn/zjt8hzC (February 11 15:27)
@学习粉丝团：再见，那天我开心的来了，今天我深怀的走了。挥之不去的是泪水，留下孤独的是煎熬。哭了，痛了，也要坚强一回。谢谢各位同门粉丝，也许国民现 有认知容不下我们，我很自责和遗憾。有共同爱好加私扣605789327我在：http://t.cn/zjt8hzC
Far from satisfied, weibers suspect Zhang is actually a propaganda worker. Chen Tong, chief editor at Sina Weibo, quipped:
@laochen: No matter what, the masses will still believe you are from [Xi’s] office… Why don’t you just admit it 🙂
@老沉:广大群众死活不愿相信你不是办里的。。。实在不行就承认吧
Other netizens were less delicate:
@dandanteng: Don’t you think you’re being melodramatic? F**k!
@淡但疼：我能很贱的说，什么泪水之类的，能不用这么煽情么？F***
@xuhan-Han: Aren’t you one person? How did you become “us”?
@徐晗-Han：不是一个人吗？怎么又成我们了？
The Learn from Xi Fan Club has accounts on multiple microblogging platforms. This photo appeared on Sohu Weibo.
@tengjunyouyou: Don’t you sneak out without answering these questions: 1. How did you get to know the travel schedule of the national leader? 2. Where did you get these close-ups?
@藤逡悠悠：这几件事你没做解释就想溜？1、国家领导人的行程你是如何得知？2、领导人的近距离照片你是如何获得的？…
@thistle2012: A thousand words, a million places, and one guy for hire–how could you get all those close-ups?
@蓟草2012： 说一千道一万，他一个打工者，能从那么近的距离拍图片吗？
Zhang has apparently posted from multiple cell phones:
@internetlaughs: Get out of my face! Where did all those close-ups come from? How can such a loser have so many different cell phones? Or are you switching cell phones constantly to post?
@笑看网世：滚犊子吧！那些近景照片哪里来的？你一屌丝手机N部？不停换手机发微博？
Zhang’s cellphone showed that he posted his last message from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, but one netizen noticed something fishy about his location:
@dongzhenwuxin: Why is your private messenger number from Hong Kong?
@东真无信：私扣地址为什么在香港？
@bluemtnBaiSuzhen: You can’t cook up any more lies? You fix it by walking away?
@青城山白素贞：谎言已经编不下去了？决定一走了之？
@boxind: I seriously doubt your identity…
@蓝色百姓：我很是怀疑你的身份…
@yeheshang: Our countrymen aren’t ready? Could you be more of a poser? Our countrymen are ready to believe in a system [that works]. You’re just ready to wait for a “good emperor.”
@那个野和尚:国民现有认知？？能再装逼点吗？国民的认知是相信制度，你的认知是期待明君
@qiuzhiyunei: Cool it with the dramatics. Hey twerp, let me ask you, there’s this netizen who just wrote a measly little weibo. Why did she get picked up by the police?
@求之于内：小编少特么在那煽情了。问问那孙子，有个网友只是在丫微博发了个评论，为什么立马就被警察抓进去了。
This may be a reference to Cheng Aihua, who was detained by the police on February 8 after posting on the Tencent Weibo Learn from Xi Fan Club account, as reported by Yaxue Cao at Seeing Red in China. Cheng has since been released.
@renliantao: Go then. This was nothing but a farce.
@任连涛：走吧，一场闹剧而已。
@xiaxiaoxxx: I’ll believe you when I see you on News Simulcast.
@夏小xxx：只能在新闻联播里相信你
Read more comments at CDT Chinese.
