Original Chongqing Evening Paper article: http://www.cqwb.com.cn/webnews/htm/2010/2/7/359785.shtml
People.cn Daily article, dated Feb 8, 2010: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-02/08/content_9445881.htm
English blogosphere discusses, such as here: http://www.dailychilli.com/news/2277-pure-blood-han-ethnicity-vanishes
Chinese netizens discuss, research, and debunk the rumour and fake news: http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/news/1/158834.shtml and http://www.mychery.net/forum/bin/ut/topic_show.cgi?id=1128277&pg=1&age=0&bpg=1&del=&stamp=1266729810 and http://bbs.sogou.com/481362/NEm2YFA5qDdIBAAAA.html
The Professor in Question responds to the Feb 2010 article: http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/worldlook/1/253431.shtml
Hanwang’s explanation and debunking thread: http://www.hanminzu.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=268438&extra=page%3D1
Xie Xiaodong, PhD, Dept. of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University
Xie Xiaodong 謝小冬 (often miswritten as 謝小東), a professor of Lanzhou University Life Sciences Department, released a news article in August 2005 regarding the possibility of descendents of Roman Legions living in the area. This caused a flurry of public reaction and further pressed the then-building notion of emphasizing the non-existance of a Han majority, eventually inferred and rewritten by netizens and Chinese newspaper reporters alike to prove that “racially pure Han Chinese” do not exist. This caused outrage among the majority of (Han) Chinese netizens in not only China, but also around the world – in particular Taiwan and Malaysia – and decried it as foul play by subversion by “remnants of Manchu Qing” forces.
As for the February 2010 article, netizens were quick to recognize that the new article, titled “Pure Han Chinese don’t exist [纯汉人不存在]” by Wang Rong (王蓉) of Chongqing Evening Paper (重慶晚報), is largely a copy and rephrasing of the 2006 fabrications titled “Decoding the Migration of the Chinese Race: DNA tests show pure Han Chinese no longer exist [中国人种迁徙解密 DNA检测纯种汉族人已不存在]”. Dr. Xie has publicized a response on Lanzhou University Bar on Baidu (not open to the public, all available sources are reposts), which is reposted in the original Simplified Chinese, and translated below:
《重庆晚报》博闻周刊 2010年02月07日 第20版所刊登的“中国纯种汉族人如今无存 曾生活在中原地区”这条新闻纯属《上海晚报》记者李宁源两年前虚假报道的翻版，纯属抄剩饭，本人已经在剑桥大学呆了一年，从未有国内的记者采访过我，我也未曾在任何场合公布过所谓的“研究成果”，请问此消息是从哪里来的呢？图片是从哪里来的呢？请问相关单位和个人，你们的新闻道德何在？社会责任何在？
看到网上的评论，大有树欲静而风不止之势，为了澄清真相，以正视听，我在这里可以负责地告诉大家，这篇报道纯属假新闻！连我的个人信息都是错误的。可见假新闻之甚！ 当年李宁源记者来兰州的目的是采访我主持的骊阡人研究项目，在被明确告之该项目仍在进行中，暂无正式结果的情况下，于当天发表了《甘肃“罗马军团”是阿富汗雇佣兵—DNA正式鉴定完毕 确定为中亚与西亚地区混合血统》一文，竟以他人的名义发表了所谓该项目已经结束，得出结论这一轰动性的新闻！并在各大网站被转载！该新闻在次日新华社驻兰记者站向我求证的时候被我做了澄清。没想到正在此过程中，李宁源记者的又一篇更吸引公众眼球的爆炸性新闻出笼了——《中国人种迁徙解密 DNA检测纯种汉族人已不存在》！ 《重庆晚报》博闻周刊的“中国纯种汉族人如今无存 曾生活在中原地区”正是来源于此。实际上，我们实验室在群体遗传学方向上只做过西北少数民族群体遗传学研究，在我们的研究领域里根本无此课题，也无此所谓科研成果和数据，我本人也从未发布过DNA检测纯种汉族人已不存在这样的耸人听闻的结果！这不是明目张胆地新闻造假，处心积虑地恶意炒做还能是什么呢？所以，真相就是大众受愚弄了，专家受冤枉了，而记者没事偷着乐了！
事件发生后，本人于当天下午与该报社新闻部赵毅副主任取得了联系，要求报社立即撤回新闻稿，并公开说明情况，向本人和公众说明真相。该报社当时答应撤回报业网站和新浪网站的该稿件，但不愿做公开说明。稍后李宁源记者通过电话向本人作了口头道歉。抱着息事宁人的态度，本以为此事就此了解，没想到事过两年，又有《重庆晚报》重新再炒，个中缘由，耐人寻味。
记者没有遵守新闻基本原则和规范及新闻记者的道德规范，报社没有严格把关，导致该报道严重失实，给当事人名誉权和学术声誉造成了极大的损害，既误导了公众，又干扰正常科研工作，还损害了媒体形象，更影响了国内祥和稳定，民族团结的大局，希望我们的新闻从业人员能在今后的工作中遵守新闻基本原则和规范及新闻记者的道德规范，为创建和谐诚信的社会承担起新闻工作者的社会责任，那些一味靠假新闻吸引公众眼球的单位和个人，到头来将会和形形色色的造假者一样，必将受到社会公正的裁判！
Chongqing Evening Paper Weekly Magazine 《重庆晚报》博闻周刊, on page 20 of its February 7, 2010 publication, the article “Pure Han Chinese no longer exist: Formerly lived in the Central Plains region “中国纯种汉族人如今无存 曾生活在中原地区”” is but a pirated version of Li Ningyuan’s article from the Shanghai Evening two years ago, and is but merely a collection of leftover rice. I have already been in residence in Cambridge [University] for over a year, and no journalist has interviewed me from inside China during this time. Neither have I announced any so-called “research results”. may I ask from where did this information come from? Where did the photo come from? May I ask the reporter and his department – where is your journalistic morality? Where is your social responsibility?
After seeing the commentary online, it is evident that rumors are abound and unstoppable. For the sake of the truth and debunking perceptions, I can responsibly tell everyone that this is fake news! Even my personal information is wrong, so you can see the degree of its falseness! Back then Li Ningyuan interviewed me in Lanzhou for the research project on Liqian people, and it was made clear that the project was still under research, and while under the state of having no official consions yet, he published that day the article Gansu “Roman Legion” are mercenaries from Afghanistan – DNA tests are completed, confirmed as mixed blood from Central and Western Asia 《甘肃“罗马军团”是阿富汗雇佣兵—DNA正式鉴定完毕 确定为中亚与西亚地区混合血统》. How dare he used another person’s name to disclose that the project is completed, with produce news of such controversy, and furthermore was reposted on major web portals! I was asked by a reporter in Lanzhou working for Xinhua for clarification – but I never thought that during then, Li Ningyuan’s other even more attractive article was unveiled – “Decoding the Migration of the Chinese Race: DNA tests show pure Han Chinese no longer exist [中国人种迁徙解密 DNA检测纯种汉族人已不存在]”! Chongqing Evening News‘s variety weekly publication “Pure Han Chinese no longer exist: Formerly lived in the Central Plains region “中国纯种汉族人如今无存 曾生活在中原地区”” in fact originates from here. In actuality, our laboratory has only studied group genetics on ethnic minorities in Northwestern China, and our research scope never once had such a topic [of Han genetics], nor do we have results or data from this so-called research, and I personally have never released any sensationalized results such as DNA tests proving that pure Han Chinese no longer exist! Isn’t this a wide-eyed news fabrication, and a malevolent hype-up? Therefore, the truth is: The masses are fooled, the experts are framed, and the journalists are giggling with glee from behind!
After the incident [in 2007], I have contacted in that afternoon assistant manager Zhao Yi 赵毅, requesting that they retract the article immediately, and provide a public explanation to the public and myself of the debacle. That newspaper company immediately agreed to retract its articles on its own website and Sina.com, but refused to make a public explanation. Later on, Li Ningyuan has made a verbal apology to me via telephone. With a forgiving attitude, I thought that the case would be closed, but never have I thought that two years later, Chongqing Evening News would re-fry the news. The reasons behind it is beyond my comprehension.
The reporter has not abided by the basic principles of journalism or their code of ethics in reporting, and the news agency has not strictly guarded their standard, causing a serious distortion of truth, dealing to the victims great damage to personal and academic credit. It has misguided the public, interferes with daily research work, and damaged the image of the media. Furthermore, it has influenced the stability and harmony of the country, and the greater solidarity of the Chinese Ethnicity. I hope that our journalists from now on can follow the basic rules of conduct and code of ethics in their work, taking responsibility as journalists in creating a trustworthy and harmonious society. Those units and individuals who solely rely on fake news to attract public eyeballs and attention, in the end, will end up like the counterfeiters of all kinds, and get their judgement served by the justice of society!
Xie Xiaodong 謝小冬
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