A lookalike police officer in China has been praised for standing in as a couple’s son after theirs died in an accident a decade ago. - Photo: SCMP composite/Chinanews
BEIJING (SCMP): A police officer in eastern China has acted as a couple’s late son for 11 years, offering comfort to the paralysed mother and forming a deep bond beyond blood.
In 2003, Xia Zhanhai and his wife Liang Qiaoying, who live in Shanxi province in northern China, lost their son in a gas leak accident.
The tragedy also left the mother paralysed and cognitively impaired, with the mental capacity of a five-year-old.
The son’s death weighed heavily on Liang, so Xia soothed her with a lie, saying their son was working in a distant city.
Officer Jiang, right, looks uncannily like the couple’s dead son. - Photo: Weixin
At one point Xia saw Jiang Jingwei, a police officer from Shanghai, on a TV programme and noticed his striking resemblance to their late son.
He contacted Jiang through a mainland reality show in late 2013, hoping he could help.
Jiang met the couple on the show as their “son”, and the woman tearfully embraced him.
In 2016, Jiang invited the couple to a Shanghai sightseeing trip, and in early 2018, he took time off to travel to Shanxi to celebrate the Lunar New Year with them.
He keeps in touch through video calls, and for 11 years their connection has remained unbroken.
In a recent video call, Liang noticed Jiang’s grey hair and said: “My son, you’re getting old.”
The thoughtful police officer, in a striped top, accompanies the couple on trips. - Photo: Weixin
At the end of September, Xia wrote a heartfelt letter to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, expressing his gratitude to his “son”.
“Thank you for training such a kind, compassionate, and responsible police officer. For over a decade, Jiang has quietly taken on the role of a son, bringing new life to our once grief-stricken family,” he wrote.
Looking back on the years, Jiang said caring for his “parents” was never a burden but a rewarding and warm experience.
“As a community police officer, I also extend the same care and compassion to the elderly in my community,” he added.
On October 11, during the Chinese Chung Yeung Festival, Jiang video-called his “parents”.
“Dad, Happy Chung Yeung Festival, wishing you and mum good health,” he said.
Police officer Jiang has been widely praised on mainland social media. - Photo: Weixin
Jiang’s dedication to the unrelated couple has deeply moved many people on mainland social media.
One online observer wrote on WeChat: “Thank you, Jiang, for your kindness. The relationship you share with the couple has long transcended blood ties.”
“I was moved to tears. Even in a world filled with conflict and disasters, stories like this bring warmth and hope,” added another. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
