Editor’s Note: This article is based on reports from mainland Chinese media outlets, publicly shared videos, and online commentary. Allegations and concerns raised by netizens reflect public opinion and have not been independently verified.
By Li Muzi
Blood donation vehicles entered the campuses of several middle schools in Pengshui County, Chongqing, in recent days as part of what authorities described as “voluntary blood donation activities for teachers and students,” triggering intense public backlash online.
The topic trended on Chinese social media for consecutive days, with some mainland netizens accusing authorities of “openly targeting underage students.”
On January 23, numerous posts circulated on the short-video platform Douyin, claiming that blood donation vans had been driven directly into the campuses of multiple middle schools in Pengshui County, where organized blood donation activities were held.
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Videos shared online show a blood donation vehicle parked inside a school campus, bearing a banner reading “2026 Voluntary Blood Donation Activity of Pengshui Autonomous County Ethnic Middle School.” Several students wearing school uniforms can be seen registering or undergoing blood donation procedures.
The comment sections quickly erupted.
Some netizens condemned the practice as blatant and unethical.
“They’re not even trying to hide it anymore,” one comment read.
“Adults can’t be fooled, so they target children who haven’t experienced the world yet. Where is the moral bottom line?” another wrote.
“How is this ‘voluntary’? What’s the difference between this and coercion?” a third commenter asked.
Others questioned who authorized blood donation vehicles to enter middle school campuses.
Anger intensified as some commenters linked the events to broader suspicions.
One netizen wrote, “Chongqing’s stem cell hospital was just completed, and now all kinds of monsters are coming out. Parents, watch closely.”
Another said, “They keep saying blood donation is good for you, but you never see doctors or wealthy people donating blood.”
Still others speculated that blood donation could be used for further medical screening, alleging that “after blood matching, children disappear,” a claim that has not been substantiated.
According to Jimunews, blood donation vehicles entered several middle schools in Pengshui County on January 22 as part of organized blood donation activities for teachers and students. Some netizens questioned whether the events complied with national regulations, noting that China’s blood donation guidelines generally encourage voluntary donation by citizens aged 18 and above.
The activities were reportedly organized jointly by the Qianjiang Central Blood Station and the participating schools.
On the evening of January 22, staff at the Qianjiang Central Blood Station said the blood donation activities were conducted in accordance with laws and regulations, and that no procedural issues existed.
On January 23, staff from the Pengshui County Education Commission said the blood station had contacted schools directly to organize the activities and that the education department had not been notified at the time of blood collection.
Officials from the Pengshui County Health Commission’s medical administration division said the county does not have its own central blood station, and that all blood collection and supply are handled by the Qianjiang Central Blood Station.
According to the officials, the blood donation activities originated from a municipal directive issued in December 2025 requiring Pengshui County to submit group blood donation plans to avoid blood shortages during the Lunar New Year period. After the education department submitted a list of schools to the municipal health commission, the list was passed on to the blood station, which then contacted schools and organized the donation events.
China’s Blood Donation Law encourages healthy citizens aged 18 to 55 to voluntarily donate blood. However, online reports have previously surfaced alleging that blood donation vehicles had entered primary and secondary school campuses in other regions.
On November 8, 2024, a blood donation vehicle reportedly entered Qinzhou No. 3 Middle School in Guangxi, where blood donation activities were conducted. In a video from the scene, medical staff can be seen working while a concerned parent said, “We send our children to school to study, not to have their blood drawn.”
In January 2025, a blood donation vehicle operated by the Nanjing Red Cross was also reported to have entered primary and secondary school campuses in Jiangsu Province. In a widely circulated video, a young man expressed anger, saying, “It might be understandable if you drove it into a university campus, but this is a middle school.”
The incident triggered a wave of online criticism, with some netizens accusing authorities of “reaching for children” and making extreme allegations. Chinese authorities later issued statements rejecting those claims.
