AI-Generated Pro-Taiwan Video Falsely Presented as Real Incident in Shanghai
The Claim
A viral video circulating across X,[1] Facebook,[2] Instagram,[3] and Threads[4] claims to show a Chinese food delivery driver in Shanghai publicly waving a Taiwanese flag while shouting pro-democracy slogans before being arrested by police.
In the clip, a man wearing a yellow delivery jacket stands near Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl TV Tower and appears to declare:
“We no longer want to be exploited. A democratic Taiwan is the only future for Chinese people.”
The video then shows uniformed officers approaching and detaining him as he continues shouting. Posts sharing the footage claimed the man worked for Chinese delivery giant Meituan and had been arrested for expressing support for Taiwan.
The footage spread widely amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Taiwan, with many users presenting it as evidence of growing dissent inside mainland China.
What CyberPoe Verified
Verification shows the video is not authentic. The footage was generated using artificial intelligence and does not depict a real political incident in Shanghai.
A keyword search traced the earliest upload of the clip to January 4, 2026, when it was posted on YouTube by a pro-Taiwan account known for publishing AI-generated political content.[1] YouTube itself flagged the video as “altered or synthetic content,” indicating the platform identified it as artificially created media.
The same account regularly shares fabricated videos depicting Taiwanese political themes, including fake street interviews and synthetic clips of people waving Taiwanese flags inside mainland Chinese cities.
Visual Inconsistencies Reveal AI Manipulation
Multiple visual errors in the footage strongly indicate AI generation.
At the beginning of the clip, the man is seen clearly holding a Taiwanese flag. As police officers move toward him, the flag appears to fall from his hands and disappear. However, in the final moments of the video, the same flag suddenly reappears in his grasp without any visible movement or transition explaining how it returned.
The delivery uniform shown in the video also contains inconsistencies. Posts claimed the man worked for Meituan, one of China’s largest food delivery companies, but the logo displayed on the jacket does not match Meituan’s official kangaroo branding.
Further examination of the environment revealed additional discrepancies. Although the footage claims to be filmed near the Bund in Shanghai, the skyline and street layout do not accurately match real-world imagery of the location.
AI Detection Confirmed Synthetic Content
CyberPoe’s review aligns with external AI detection analysis. Hive Moderation, a tool used to identify synthetic media, determined there was a 99.9 percent probability the clip had been generated using AI.
The video therefore does not document an actual protest, arrest, or political incident inside China.
Why the Video Spread
The clip gained traction because it tapped directly into rising geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan. Beijing has intensified military and political pressure on the self-governed island in recent years, while Taiwan’s leadership has accused China of expanding regional intimidation efforts.
In highly polarized environments, AI-generated political videos can spread rapidly because they appear emotionally convincing and visually realistic, even when entirely fabricated.
CyberPoe Verdict ❌
False. The viral video showing a supposed Chinese delivery driver supporting Taiwan in Shanghai is AI-generated and does not depict a real event.
The footage originated from an account known for posting synthetic political content and contains multiple visual inconsistencies consistent with artificial intelligence generation.
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