Viral Caged Toddler Video in China Rekindles Human Trafficking Suspicions

The authorities say there was no foul play, but Chinese people online are demanding more answers.

The video of a toddler locked in a cage in the rear of a vehicle in the city of Haikou on China’s Hainan Island went viral on June 17, triggering concerns among Chinese netizens, with many raising suspicions of human trafficking.

State media reported the incident the next day, citing local police investigations, saying that the incident involved a family of eight. According to the police, the child climbed into the cage “voluntarily” and therefore caused a misunderstanding. However, the official narrative has drawn widespread skepticism online.

According to a June 18 statement from the Haikou Civil Affairs Bureau, the local police received a report from concerned citizens on June 16 after the vehicle drew public attention on the streets. The red mini truck had several small children onboard, some of whom were without clothing, and one toddler was seen inside a metal cage.

Local Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities identified the vehicle’s occupants as a family from Henan Province, which is over 1,000 miles away from where the vehicle was videoed. The 55-year-old father, surnamed Diao, and his 33-year-old wife, who reportedly has an intellectual disability, have six children together. The couple had no stable employment and travel across the country in their mini truck, doing odd jobs.

Chinese officials said that the family had recently arrived in Haikou by ferry. On June 16, while dining at a local restaurant, Diao left four of the children in the vehicle while tending to his wife and others. To prevent the children from falling out of the vehicle, he used a metal cage as a barrier at the back. One child reportedly climbed into the cage on their own while playing.

The authorities’ statement also claimed that the children are in “good condition and emotionally stable” and that they have since been provided with clothes, shoes, and toys. The local government from their hometown reportedly arrived in Haikou on June 18 to escort the family back, and Haikou authorities presented the family with a gift package featuring local specialties.

An earlier statement by Haikou police on the same day of the incident stated that the family’s documents, such as household registration and marriage certificates, were in order, and noted that the woman and two of the children have disabilities. The cage, according to the police, was something the family picked up during their travels and was intended as a makeshift barrier, not for confinement.

By Michael Zhuang

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