Last updated on January 8th, 2026
Editor's note:
A large amount of disinformation related to fishing vessel disputes between Indonesia and China has recently been detected on Platform X. There were notable surges in the activity of such posts in late November and mid-December, with at least 48 highly relevant posts identified in a short period. These posts share striking similarities in both their narratives and visual materials. Fact Hunter will deconstruct and fact-check this disinformation.
Claim:
On December 16, 2025, the X account @Nguyen Thi hong posted a video on the platform. The on-screen text reads “INDONESIA FISHING BOATS:31 illegal boats were sunk across the country.” The footage shows several boats being destroyed in explosions. The post claims, “#Indonesia destroyed Chinese vessels for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters. Now, China must realize that ‘OUR actions will be the consequence of CHINA’s actions.’ If China dares to harass our people in our waters, it should be prepared for similar treatment.” The post has garnered over 1.3 million views and over 25,000 interactions. However, the same account had already posted the same video on November 21.
Fact check:
1.Communicator Analysis
The X account @Nguyen Thi hong is an individually operated account created in August 2023. Its bio describes the user as a “Digital Media Strategist by profession” who is “interested in South East Asian affairs.”
As of now, the account has published 3,010 posts. Its content focuses almost exclusively on China-related topics, primarily featuring allegations of illegal fishing by Chinese vessels, claims of environmental damage, calls to boycott China, and expressions of concerns regarding China’s rise.
The account’s rhetoric is consistently confrontational, frequently employing emotionally charged words such as “Horrific,” “Absolutely insane,” and “This is so disturbing.” Many posts conclude with provocative calls to actions, including “Someone must teach China a lesson” and “This lawless behavior must end. NOW.”
On December 16, the X account @Nguyen Thi hong posted a video alleging that “Indonesia destroyed Chinese vessels for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters,” which has received more than 1.3 million views and 25,000 engagements.
However, the authenticity of the video was quickly questioned. The following day, on December 17, another X user, @Corrine, pointed out a key discrepancy: the footage actually depicts Vietnamese fishing vessels being sunk by the Indonesian authorities,not Chinese ones. @Corrine concluded that the video’s content does not match the post’s description.
Notably, the same footage had already been posted by @Nguyen Thi hong on November 21, receiving about 799,000 views and 14,000 engagements.
When reposted on December 16, the engagement nearly doubled, with the post amassing about 1.3 million views and about 25,000 engagements.
2. Video Source
A reverse image search of key video frames reveals that the footage was first published on February 22, 2016. Media reports from that time, including those by TRT World (Turkey) and Global News (Canada), identified the sunken vessels as originating from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Myanmar. This firmly places the video in a context entirely disconnected from the current claims regarding Chinese vessels.
3.Analysis of Communication Characteristics
Monitoring shows that the narrative alleging “Indonesia destroyed Chinese vessels for illegal fishing” gained significant traction on platform X within a short timeframe. Two distinct engagement peaks were observed: one in late November and another in mid-December. During these periods, at least 48 highly similar posts were identified, forming coordinated clusters of content.
A key characteristic of this campaign was the highly repetitive use of identical visual and textual elements. The vast majority of posts recirculated the same piece of footage. In terms of narrative framing, posts consistently employed emotionally charged and militaristic terminology such as “escalation,” “spy fleet,” and “underwater scrap metal.”
The repetitive pattern is exemplified by the actions of specific accounts. For instance, on November 22, the account @DefenseIntelligence posted under the provocative title “Indonesia just turned 31 Chinese fishing boats into underwater scrap metal,” garnering over 5,000 engagements and approximately 489,000 views. On the same day, another account, @TheBattlefield, received around 306,000 views with related content.
A second wave occurred in mid-December, with accounts like @MeghUpdates and @WAR posting similar content on December 17, receiving approximately 63,000 and 62,000 views respectively.
In summary, the dissemination of this claim was characterized by a short, intensive burst of activity featuring near-identical content across multiple accounts. This pattern of synchronized repurposing of old footage with inflammatory framing was the primary mechanism behind the narrative’s spread on Platform X.
4.Official statements
Searches of publicly available reports in English, Chinese, and Indonesian over the past year, along with a review of public statements and official announcements issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the same period, have found that there is no official information supporting the claim.
5.Comments swayed by false claims
In the month after November 21,, the topic generated nearly 500,000 views on the X platform. Discussions mainly focused on Indonesia’s law enforcement actions, with both supportive and skeptical views present.
Most participants were from Southeast Asia. About 30% were from the Philippines, around 25% from Indonesia and Vietnam combined, and about 15% from India.
In terms of interaction, comments supporting Indonesia’s actions received the most positive feedback (31,002 likes), followed by neutral comments (9,137 likes).Comments expressing opposition or criticism received the least engagement.
The analysis revealed that some users were influenced by false information and accepted the post as fact. Their responses included subjective claims made without supporting evidence.
Background
Fact-checking has confirmed that the circulating video footage dates back to February 22, 2016. The 31 vessels destroyed at that time were illegal fishing vessels from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Myanmar. No Chinese vessels were involved.
From 2014 to 2019, during the tenure of Susi Pudjiastuti as Indonesia’s Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia implemented a policy centered on sinking illegal fishing vessels. After 2019, Indonesia shifted its approach from destruction to the reuse of seized vessels.
From a temporal perspective, the spread of this disinformation coincided with two periods of heightened discussion on China-related topics on X. One peak in mid-December aligned with increased attention to maritime frictions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Another, from late November to mid-December, overlapped with a rise in discussions related to the island-wide independent customs operation in the Hainan FTP.
Verdict:
Fabricated
After verification, the online claim that “Indonesia destroyed 31 Chinese fishing vessels” has been confirmed as fabricated. The circulated video actually shows footage from February 22, 2016, when the Indonesian government destroyed vessels that had been seized and ruled to be engaged in illegal fishing. The vessels destroyed came from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Myanmar, with no Chinese vessels involved.
Have a questionable video or claim? Submit it to Fact Hunter’s investigation team at [therealfacthunter@outlook.com].
Primary Fact Checker: Li Yiwen
Secondary Fact Checker: Liao Qin
