Jiangxi officials investigate online claims of revoked subsistence allowance over concert trip

The social affairs administration bureau of the Ganzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone in Jiangxi province issued a statement on Monday responding to online posts claiming that a girl in Jiangxi had her family's subsistence allowance revoked for attending a concert in Hong Kong. The posts sparked heated discussion online, drawing over 40 million views on Sina Weibo.

The bureau said it attached great importance to the matter and set up a working group to launch a full investigation.

According to the statement, the girl referred to in the posts is a local resident surnamed Huang. Her personal trip to Hong Kong for the concert triggered the dynamic monitoring alert for subsistence allowance recipients, and community officials then explained the relevant policies and issued a reminder to her family. Worried that the allowance might be revoked, the family posted about the situation online to seek help.

The bureau said it is now verifying the online claims and the family's circumstances in accordance with due procedures, and will handle the matter in compliance with laws and regulations based on the findings.

Some netizens argued that the allowance should be revoked, saying that her ability to spend that kind of money showed she was capable of working to support herself. Others felt she should be given a chance to see something of the wider world, then return and study hard so she could eventually improve her family's situation.