A former reporter for the Xinhua New Agency has apologised for falsely reporting that communist hero Lei Feng and his teachings are highly admired at America’s top military academy, West Point.

Li Zhurun, read about the surprising news in United Press International on April Fools Day 1981, failing to realize it was a prank. He wrote about it in an article, and the news was widely accepted among Chinese media and society-so much so, that West Point itself and the American Embassy in Beijing have had to issue statements denying the claim.

He issued an official statement on Weibo on January 5 2015, apologizing for the error, saying “it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

Lei Feng was a communist soldier propelled to fame posthumously during the 1960’s as a model example of selflessness and devotion to the Communist party. Posters urging people to ‘Study Lei Feng Spirit’ were everywhere and excerpts of his diary detailing his many good deeds, which included darning his comrades’ socks, shoveling manure for compost and helping old ladies and children with their chores, were enshrined in museums. He died in 1962 when a telephone pole fell on his head.

This certainly isn’t the first time Chinese state media has fallen for a satirical news story; in 2012, the People’s Daily re-printed word for word, a satirical piece by the Onion naming North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as the sexiest man alive.

Source: Wall St Journal

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Keywords: Former Xinhua Reporter Apologizes Lei Feng West Point