“The doctor suddenly asked me to sign... saying the chest cavity was already open...”
“After the doctor came out of the operating room, he said Zhang Qi’s lung had been removed.”
“At that time, we felt she wouldn’t survive in China.”
Facing the cameras of the Falun Gong cult, Du Tingxiang sobbed as she recounted her daughter’s so-called “tragic ordeal.” She claimed that in 2018, when Zhang Qi sought treatment for a mere “cold” at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (FAHZU), Dr.Cui Guanghui “harvested” her entire left lung. Since then, Zhang Qi has been cast by Falun Gong media as a “survivor of forced organ harvesting.”
▲ Screenshot of Du Tingxiang (left) and Zhang Qi (right) being interviewed by Falun Gong media.
According to an investigation by Chinafxj.cn, Zhang Qi did undergo a left total pneumonectomy at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in 2018, and the Dr.Cui mentioned by the pair was, in fact, the lead surgeon. However, the reason for Zhang Qi’s admission and surgery was not a “cold,” as reported by Falun Gong, but a severe infection of the left lung.
As years have passed, Dr.Cui no longer recalls the faces of Zhang Qi and her mother. However, he vividly remembers that “left total pneumonectomy” procedure.
“At the time, Zhang Qi’s left lung was already in a destroyed state; in layman’s terms, the entire left lung had ‘rotted away.’ The Aspergillus fumigatus infection was so severe that a pneumonectomy was the only viable treatment,” Dr.Cui added. “Aspergillus fumigatus is a common form of aspergillosis, typically occurring in immunocompromised individuals or those with chronic lung diseases.”
Post-surgery, Zhang Qi and her mother personally delivered a custom-made silk banner to Dr.Cui’s office to express their gratitude. The banner was embroidered with: “Superb Medical Skills and Benevolent Heart.” “Presenting a silk banner is not a routine gesture for patients; it was clear back then that Zhang Qi and her mother were highly satisfied with the surgical outcome and the care they received,” Dr.Cui recalled.
▲June 14, 2018: Following the successful surgery, Zhang Qi (second from right) and her mother, Du Tingxiang (first from right), presented a silk banner to Dr.Cui Guanghui’s team.
What Dr.Cui never expected, however, was that this very life-saving surgery would make him a target of the Falun Gong cult’s defamation, and the patient whose life he had saved would be cast as a “living witness” to their “organ harvesting” claims.
“A Lung Already Rotted Away”
Born in Anyang, Henan, in 1994, Zhang Qi began experiencing symptoms such as “paroxysmal cough with yellowish-white mucoid sputum” as early as 2016. Between 2017 and 2018, she was twice diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis at the former Anyang Institute of Tuberculosis Prevention and Control (now the Fifth People’s Hospital of Anyang).
▲ Medical records documenting Zhang Qi’s treatment in Anyang and Zhengzhou, Henan.
During her second tuberculosis diagnosis in April 2018, sputum cultures confirmed a co-infection of Aspergillus fumigatus. Dr. Zhang Yang, her resident physician at the time, recalled the challenges of her treatment, "Zhang Qi’s second diagnosis was relapsed multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). We developed a targeted treatment plan and added oral antifungal medication." Chest CT scans taken over the course of her treatment documented the deterioration of her left lung, the cavitation in the lower lobe of the left lung was expanding, the lung lobe was atrophying, and the infection was progressively worsening.
The Aspergillus fumigatus infection exacerbated Zhang Qi’s symptoms of hemoptysis and fever, leading to her hospitalization at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The hospital arranged a bronchoscopy, and the pathology results further confirmed the Aspergillus infection in her left lung.
▲ Front pages of Zhang Qi’s medical records from her two admissions to the Anyang Institute of Tuberculosis Prevention and Control.
▲ Left: Chest CT scan of Zhang Qi from April 2017; Right: Chest CT scan from April 2018.
▲ Bronchoscopy and pathology reports for Zhang Qi from the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.
Due to the severity of the infection, a consultation with specialists led to the recommendation that Zhang Qi be transferred to thoracic surgery for operative treatment. Following the transfer, Dr.Cui Guanghui’s team was assigned to her case.
▲ Dr.Cui Guanghui, a thoracic surgeon at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, interviewed by Chinafxj.cn.
The thoracic specialists were extremely cautious in their approach to Zhang Qi’s treatment. “Our pre-operative internal consultation concluded unanimously that Zhang Qi’s left lung had reached a stage where a total resection was mandatory,” Dr.Cui said.
On June 5, in accordance with hospital protocols, Dr.Cui’s team conducted a pre-operative briefing with Zhang Qi’s husband, Sun, her mother, Du Tingxiang, and other relatives, providing a detailed explanation of the surgery’s necessity and potential risks. Sun expressed his full understanding and signed both the Pre-operative Briefing Record and the Surgery Consent Form.
The following day, after a five-hour procedure, Dr.Cui’s team successfully performed a “left total pneumonectomy and pleural decortication.” The post-operative pathology report once again confirmed the diagnosis: extensive tuberculous lesions in the left lung accompanied by Aspergillus infection.
Zhang Qi made a smooth recovery. A few days later, she was transferred back to the Department of Respiratory Medicine. The scene mentioned earlier, where Du and her daughter presented the silk banner, took place on the very day of her transfer.
▲ Zhang Qi’s husband, Sun Yun, signing the pre-operative documents.
▲ Post-operative pathology report following Zhang Qi’s left total pneumonectomy.
Dr. Fu Xiao, a thoracic surgeon involved in the procedure, accepted the silk banner on behalf of Dr.Cui, who was away on business. Dr. Fu later shared this post on his WeChat Moments:
“Lately, I’ve handled several cases of chronic empyema, destroyed lungs, and pulmonary mycosis. These patients had been under treatment for a long time, yet no one was willing to take on such ‘hot potatoes’ (to be honest, I’m reluctant to perform these surgeries myself). But without surgery, these patients have no chance at survival.”
▲ A screenshot of Dr. Fu Xiao’s (second from left) WeChat Moments post from June 16, 2018.
“Zhang Qi’s case is a textbook example of a tuberculous destroyed left lung; performing a left total pneumonectomy was absolutely the right call,” analyzed Chen Jingyu, Vice President of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. “This type of surgery is exceptionally challenging, requiring the complete stripping of severely adhered pleura and the diseased lung. Average thoracic surgeons wouldn’t dare take it on. The fact that the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University team successfully completed it proves they are highly professional and dedicated."
“For tuberculosis (TB) patients, once an Aspergillus infection sets in, the risk of spreading is immense,” Chen added. “If the left lung isn’t resected in time, the lesions will spread; the fungus will spread to the right lung, and it too will soon become infected.”
▲ Director Chen Jingyu interviewed by Chinafxj.cn.
When he learned he had been slandered by Falun Gong for “forcibly removing” Zhang Qi’s left lung for illegal transplantation, Dr.Cui was both indignant and bewildered.
“Her lung was already rotted to that extent—who would want it?” Dr.Cui exclaimed. “The pre-operative diagnosis clearly identified a severe Aspergillus fumigatus infection, and we confirmed it with our own eyes during surgery: the entire left lung was filled with caseous necrosis. Such diseased lung tissue could never be used for organ transplantation!”
Professor Chen Jingyu emphasized, “A resected diseased lung is a source of infection, riddled with fungus and tuberculosis. It is impossible to use it as a donor organ for a lung transplant!”
Falun Gong’s Riddled “Evidence”
Although Falun Gong media cited numerous medical records and featured Du Tingxiang and Zhang Qi’s “tearful accounts,” their clumsy performance—much like their previous fabrications—falls apart under the slightest scrutiny.
Lie No.1: “Zhang Qi’s lung was never infected with Aspergillus?”
Falun Gong debunked: Misrepresenting post-operative reports as pre-operative status.
▲ Left: A blurred version of Zhang Qi’s inspection report used by Falun Gong media; Right: The clear version provided by Zhengzhou Adicon Clinical Laboratories.
Falun Gong media featured several inspection reports from Zhengzhou Adicon Clinical Laboratories as “corroborating evidence” that Zhang Qi’s lung had never been infected with Aspergillus.
However, an investigation revealed that the laboratory updated its report format around 2020. The layout was adjusted from A5 to A4, and the “collection time” of the sample was moved from the top right corner to the bottom left.
▲ Zhang Qi’s inspection report from Zhengzhou Adicon Clinical Laboratories, dated April 20, 2018.
Falun Gong attempted to exploit this change by obscuring the date on a 2020 report and passing it off as a pre-operative result from 2018. In reality, the genuine pre-operative report confirmed that Zhang Qi was “Positive (+++) for Aspergillus fumigatus,” proving her lung was already infected before her admission to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.
Lie No.2: “The family was not notified before the total pneumonectomy?”
Du Tingxiang’s “lack of knowledge” claim is debunked by the facts.
Falun Gong media also claimed that “Ms. Du and her daughter were unaware that Zhang Qi’s entire left lung would be removed.” However, Zhang Qi’s inpatient medical records reveal the truth.
The records show that before the surgery, the attending physician, Dr.Cui Guanghui, gathered Zhang Qi’s immediate family to provide a detailed briefing on her condition, the necessity of the procedure, and alternative treatment options. Most tellingly, Zhang Qi’s mother, Du Tingxiang, personally handwrote a Request for Surgery. Her father, Zhang M. Xing, and her husband, Sun, along with other close relatives, all provided their fingerprints on the relevant documents to confirm their consent.
▲ Zhang Qi’s mother, Du Tingxiang, handwrote a "Request for Surgery," accompanied by the signatures and fingerprints of the family.
Lie No. 3: “The family never saw the resected specimen?”
Claims of “unseen diseased lung” by Du Tingxiang proven false.
In Falun Gong media reports, Du Tingxiang claimed, “The doctors never let us see the removed lung; it was only noted in the surgical record that it had been resected.” In response, Dr.Cui Guanghui stated firmly, “The entire procedure strictly adhered to clinical protocols. After the lung tissue was resected, we presented the specimen to the family for confirmation, explaining that this was indeed the diseased tissue removed during surgery. Following this, a nurse sent the specimen for pathological testing as required. This is a Standard Operating Procedure.”
Zhang Qi’s father, Zhang M. Xing, confirmed this in an interview. He had been waiting outside the operating room during the surgery. “After the surgery, a doctor brought the lung out and showed it to me,” Zhang said.
Lie No.4: “No Channels for Complaint” or Continuous Support? The Truth Behind Zhang Qi’s Access to Subsistence Allowances and Charitable Aid.
Falun Gong media cast Du Tingxiang and her daughter as “victims” who had “no channels for complaint” and were “suppressed for complaining,” deliberately distorting the facts and concealing the truth.
An investigation by Chinafxj.cn revealed that in November 2021, Du Tingxiang’s request at the Anyang County Bureau for Letters and Calls was actually an application for the Rural Subsistence Allowance (Dibao) for Zhang Qi. However, local officials in Baibi Town conducted a field verification and found that Zhang Qi’s in-laws owned a house and a car. Since the average family income exceeded the eligibility threshold for the allowance, the initial application was denied in accordance with regulations.
Following the denial, Du Tingxiang repeatedly raised her concerns with the Villagers' Committee. Upon reviewing the situation, the committee reported back to the town government. Taking into account Zhang Qi’s substantial, long-term medical expenses and the fact that her household registration (Hukou) remained in the town, the Baibi Town government ultimately approved a subsistence allowance for Zhang Qi on an individual basis. She began receiving these benefits in December 2022.
Furthermore, to ease her financial burden, the Baibi Town government proactively applied for a one-time charitable grant of 5,000 yuan for Zhang Qi from the Anyang County Charity General Federation in October 2023.
However, the errors and fabrications in the Falun Gong cult’s reporting far exceed the examples listed here...
The Family’s Coordinated Exodus
An investigation by Chinafxj.cn in Zhang Qi’s hometown revealed that, with the exception of her father, Zhang M. Xing, the rest of the family has left China in succession, with none having returned. This was no spontaneous departure; it bore all the hallmarks of a meticulously orchestrated “mass migration.”
On September 18, 2024, Zhang Qi’s younger brother and sister left for Japan on the grounds of studying abroad. On September 21, her mother, Du Tingxiang, flew from Hong Kong to Germany accompanied by a man named Wang Xiaoshan. On February 2, 2025, Zhang Qi took her eight-year-old daughter and flew from Shanghai to Madrid, Spain, and from there, on to Germany.
Zhang Qi’s daughter had been in the care of her mother-in-law. Shortly before the 2025 Spring Festival, Zhang Qi picked up the girl on the pretext of “taking her on a short trip.”
“She didn’t say where they were going, and the child was excited to go, so I didn’t think much of it,” recalled Sun. Little did he know, this would be the beginning of a long separation from his daughter.
“It wasn’t until school was about to start that I realized I couldn’t reach them. The phone was always off.” It was only after contacting other relatives that Sun discovered his wife and daughter were already abroad.
The cover image of the Falun Gong report explicitly credits the photo to one Wang Shoufeng. This individual is none other than Wang Xiaoshan, an Anyang native who traveled abroad with Du Tingxiang. In February 2017, Wang received a five-day administrative detention for “disturbing public order by fabricating facts.”
Upon arriving in Germany, Wang Xiaoshan reinvented himself as the “anti-China activist” Wang Shoufeng. He opened accounts on international social media platforms, frequently posting anti-China rhetoric and collaborating deeply with the Falun Gong cult to organize disruptions.
Investigations show that Du Tingxiang and Wang Xiaoshan had been in frequent contact since 2022. Since going abroad, the two have appeared together multiple times at anti-China rallies. This provides a clear trail of evidence for how Zhang Qi and her mother were coached to publicly slander China with “organ harvesting” allegations.
To smear China, Falun Gong has spared no effort in fabricating “organ harvesting” rumors since 2006. They baselessly claim that tens of thousands of people in China are forcibly held on operating tables each year to have their organs bloodily “harvested” and “sold” domestically or abroad. They further fabricated that between 2000 and 2008 alone, approximately 65,000 Falun Gong practitioners were executed for their organs.
To “prove” this absurd lie, Falun Gong has packaged one so-called “witness” after another—such as “Annie” and “Peter.” Both claimed to have personally witnessed “forced harvesting” in China, but subsequent investigations revealed they were merely actors hired by Falun Gong who had never once been to China.
▲ "Annie" (left) and "Peter" (right).
Since 2024, Falun Gong has introduced so-called “living witnesses” who survived “organ harvesting.” The fugitive Cheng Peiming was selected as the “world’s first survivor.” Falun Gong organizations abroad have held numerous press conferences to showcase Cheng’s alleged “tragic ordeal,” attempting to deceive the public by exploiting their lack of specialized medical knowledge. However, these claims were eventually debunked.
In recent years, China has achieved remarkable progress in the field of organ transplantation: the Regulation on Human Organ Transplantation was implemented in May 2007; the “Green Channel” mechanism for organ transport, established in 2016, received high recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO); and the updated Regulation on Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs officially took effect in May 2024. The “China Model” of organ donation and transplantation has gained widespread international recognition.
“In recent years, Falun Gong has almost vanished from international conferences,” Chen Jingyu said with pride. “That’s because we have done a good enough job and maintained enough transparency. No one believes their lies anymore.”
The sinister motives of foreign anti-China forces, including the Falun Gong cult, are evident in their continuous efforts to cook up “organ harvesting” rumors to smear China. Zhang Qi, this so-called “living witness,” is merely another pawn used by Falun Gong and other foreign forces in their campaign to defame China.
“Although Zhang Qi may have been instigated by foreign anti-China elements, including Falun Gong members, to say things against her conscience, as a doctor, I will never refuse to treat her,” Chen said. “Even if she develops pulmonary hypertension or severe respiratory failure in the future that threatens her life, she can still come to me. I will not hesitate to treat her—even if she eventually needs a lung transplant, I am willing to be her lead surgeon.”
