Chinese diplomat 'likes' X-rated video on Twitter

The Twitter account of Chinese Ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiamong, recently liked an X-rated video, creating storm on social media with many users of the microblogging site wondering if it was an accident or whether his account had been hacked.

According to a report in The New York Times, the 'like' drew a furious statement from the Chinese Embassy which demanded that Twitter launch an investigation.As per the report, the account has a history of odd likes and it has frequently liked its own tweets, and liked criticism of China itself.

After the controversy, which threatened to be an embarrassing moment for the Chinese Ambassador, counted as a leading voice of new generation of "wolf-warrior" diplomats, the account scrubbed all but two of the dozens of likes it had accumulated over the past year.

Of late, Chinese diplomats have opened an account on Twitter, a platform banned in China for their wolf-warrior diplomacy.

Liu, who has been China's Ambassador to Britain since 2009, frequently appears on TV attacking China's critics, the report said. He joined Twitter last year.

He has used Twitter to attack Adrian Zenz, a scholar who has researched the Xinjiang crackdown. China has faced global criticism for its massive human rights abuses in the province.

The Chinese Embassy came to the defence of Ambassador after his recent 'like' of the X-rated video, and blamed "anti-China" elements.

"The Embassy has reported this to Twitter company and urged the latter to make thorough investigations and handle this matter seriously," the statement continued, according to the report. "The Embassy reserves the right to take further actions and hope that the public will not believe or spread such rumour."

( With inputs from ANI )