Documentary details Chinese Actor Wang Xing's Myanmar trafficking ordeal

Chinese actor Wang Xing was sold three times in four days after being trafficked into Myanmar in January 2025, a new Chinese state documentary has revealed.

The three-part documentary, titled The Demise of Telecom Fraud in Northern Myanmar, aired on China Central Television from Oct. 5 to 7. According to CNA, it was jointly produced by China's Ministry of Public Security and China Media Group, and detailed the country's efforts to dismantle scam operations in Myanmar.

Wang, who also goes by the stage name Xing Xing, became the subject of an international search in January 2025 after he disappeared during a trip to Thailand for what he believed was an acting job. LOL

According to the documentary, Wang had responded to a casting call posted in a WeChat group in late 2024. The person behind the offer, identified as Yan Shiliu, posed as an assistant director and arranged Wang's flights from Shanghai to Bangkok, as well as his hotel accommodation.

Wang arrived in Bangkok on Jan. 2, 2025. However, the driver assigned to pick him up took him in a different destination, saying his hotel arrangements had changed.

After the vehicle was switched near a supermarket, Wang grew suspicious. He then sent his girlfriend a prearranged message asking, "Have you fed the cat?" The couple had agreed to use the phrase as a distress signal.

His girlfriend reported him missing, but Wang had already been abducted and taken across the border into Myanmar. He was held in the border town of Myawaddy, where the documentary said he was sold three times in four days.

Wang reportedly attempted to pay for his release, but his captors allegedly refused, saying they needed more people rather than money.

Chinese authorities contacted their counterparts in Thailand and Myanmar to help locate the actor. A joint effort eventually led to his rescue, while investigators traced the incident to a cross-border human trafficking network.

The documentary said 17 suspects were arrested in connection with the case, including Yan.

After the documentary aired, Wang posted a message on Weibo on Oct. 7 expressing gratitude to Chinese authorities for their efforts. According to CNA's report, he said he was "deeply grateful to the motherland."