By Cai Siyun
Whistleblower claims pandemic death toll far higher than official figures
A whistleblower identified as an insider within China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs—a central government body responsible for population, social welfare, and demographic data—has alleged that cumulative deaths since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have exceeded 500 million.
According to the claims, as many as 14 million people were killed in 2025 alone through what the source described as “parts transfers,” a euphemism for organ harvesting. Individuals born in the 1980s were allegedly singled out as primary targets.
The allegations were disclosed by media commentator Li Dayu on his online program Dayu Case Files. Li cited Chinese dissident Zeng Jieming, who said the information came directly from an internal whistleblower with access to population and mortality records inside the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Allegations of census fraud under Xi Jinping
The whistleblower claimed that China’s population statistics have been systematically falsified over many years by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). China’s sixth national census, conducted in 2010 during the Hu Jintao–Wen Jiabao administration, reported a population of 1.3397 billion.
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By the time of the seventh national census in November 2020—after Xi Jinping had consolidated power as CCP general secretary and chairman of the Central Military Commission—the insider alleged that China’s actual population had already dropped to 1.0933 billion.
Li Dayu said Xi Jinping was alarmed by the scale of the demographic collapse and ordered the public release of the census results delayed until early 2022. During that time, the figures were allegedly revised to conceal the true extent of population decline.
Claims of mass deaths during and after zero-COVID
According to the whistleblower, the situation deteriorated rapidly after 2020. Between 2020 and 2023—the three core years of China’s strict “zero-COVID” policy—actual deaths reportedly reached 387 million.
After the CCP abruptly lifted zero-COVID restrictions in December 2022, deaths allegedly surged by another 150 million over the next two years. This would place total pandemic-related deaths at approximately 530 million.
Li Dayu acknowledged that the figures appear almost unimaginable but argued they align with observable conditions across China. He pointed to widespread depopulation in both cities and rural areas, with entire regions described as nearly empty.
Earlier warnings from overseas Chinese figures
Li Dayu also referenced earlier warnings from overseas Chinese dissidents. On Jan. 15, 2023, Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi stated publicly that the CCP had concealed the true scale of the pandemic for more than three years.
Li Hongzhi claimed at the time that 400 million people in China had already died and that total deaths would eventually reach 500 million before the pandemic fully subsided.
Alleged state-backed ‘organ harvesting industrial chain’
The whistleblower described what he called a horrifying “organ harvesting industrial chain” operating under state protection. Li Dayu said many individuals officially declared brain-dead had, in reality, died as a result of forced organ procurement tied to state-backed transplant operations.
Mandatory digital registration systems imposed during the pandemic allegedly made identifying and matching “donors” unprecedentedly efficient. People born in the 1980s were reportedly hit hardest.
According to the claims, during the three pandemic years, the mortality rate among people born in the 1980s was twice that of those born in the 1970s and even higher than among people born in the 1950s.
Victims reclassified as ‘missing persons’
When the unusually high death rate among this age cohort began attracting international scrutiny, authorities allegedly issued internal orders in late 2024 to stop recording most organ-harvested victims as deaths.
Instead, they were to be reclassified as missing persons.
By 2025, the situation reportedly worsened further. Police were said to have stopped opening cases involving abandoned bodies found with missing organs. Based on internal statistics from funeral homes nationwide, more than 14 million bodies with missing organs were recorded as “missing persons” in 2025 alone.
Li Dayu stressed that this implies more than 14 million people were killed through organ harvesting in a single year, calling it an undeniable case of mass murder.
Why the insider broke his silence
Explaining his decision to come forward, the alleged insider said his faith in the Chinese Communist Party had collapsed long ago. He cited China’s deepening economic crisis, severe salary cuts imposed on civil servants, and widespread wage arrears.
What ultimately compelled him to speak, he said, was witnessing a regime that calls itself a “people’s government” engage in the large-scale killing of its own citizens for profit—while deliberately targeting the next generation.
He said that ignorance might allow survival, but once the truth is known, silence becomes unbearable.
Li Dayu said he personally trusts the whistleblower’s information and has confidence in Zeng Jieming’s judgment. He warned that the full truth, once exposed, would be even more shocking and urged the public to pay close attention to these disclosures. Without systemic change, he warned, ordinary people could soon face catastrophic consequences.
Children missing across China, organ harvesting suspected
In recent years, reports of missing children and teenagers across China have increased sharply. According to mainland media, since the beginning of 2026, missing-person cases have surfaced in Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, Sichuan, and other provinces.
On January 8, a 13-year-old middle school student in Xincai County, Henan Province, died suddenly on campus. School officials allegedly attempted to remove the body before the parents arrived, but relatives intercepted the vehicle. The family later discovered pinhole-sized blood marks on the child’s chest.
Professionals cited by commentators said such punctures are consistent with injections used to maintain cardiac activity prior to organ removal.
On Jan. 12, a 13-year-old boy surnamed Wang, identified as Wang Yichun, disappeared on his way to school in Heilong Town, Zhumadian, Henan Province. His body was found the following day three kilometers from his home, with his corneas and kidneys reportedly missing.
Other cases cited include a 13-year-old boy surnamed Zou who went missing in Zhucheng, Shandong Province; a 14-year-old girl named Xu Mengyao who disappeared in Dancheng County, Henan; and a 14-year-old boy named Yang Jiahao who vanished outside Dewai School in Xichuan County, Henan.
Additional reports involve an 11-year-old girl named Ma Xiangyu in Rong County, Zigong City, Sichuan Province; a 13-year-old girl named Chen Xian in Pu’an County, Guizhou Province; a 15-year-old girl named Wang Xinyue in Jianchang County, Huludao, Liaoning Province; and a 17-year-old student named Wang Tianyaqi from Huaining County, Anhui Province, later found dead in a river.
On Jan. 4, a 17-year-old boy named Zhai Minghao went missing in Feixian County, Linyi City, Shandong Province. The next day, January 5, a 14-year-old girl named Zhao Xinran disappeared in Dacheng County, Hebei Province.
Many members of the public suspect these missing youths were victims of organ harvesting. Online commenters wrote, “The Xincai student died under mysterious circumstances, and children in Henan keep disappearing. Parents must watch their kids closely.” Others warned, “There are seven or eight cases a day, mostly in Henan,” and, “When one attempt fails, they simply find a replacement.”
Some netizens claimed that criminal operations once conducted overseas have been relocated domestically, warning that kidnapping and organ removal are becoming industrialized within China. Videos circulated by bloggers accused authorities of ignoring nationwide cases involving missing children and young adults, suppressing public discussion, and implied that the CCP itself was operating behind the scenes.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on media reports, publicly available online programs, and statements attributed to a purported insider from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, as cited by overseas Chinese-language commentators. Allegations involving large-scale deaths and organ harvesting have not been independently verified and are presented strictly as claims made by the cited sources.
