US Influencer Lex Fridman Suspected of Espionage During Travel in China; Hitchhiking Video Goes Viral

U.S. influencer Lex Fridman and his friend were suspected of spying while hitchhiking in China.

Published: 5/28/2026, 1:06:40 PM EDT

US Influencer Lex Fridman Suspected of Espionage During Travel in China; Hitchhiking Video Goes Viral — A woman uses her smartphone in a file photo. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

A video depicting an American and a British influencer hitchhiking through a mountainous region of China has gone viral across Chinese social media platforms.

The footage reveals that while the Chinese driver maintained a warm smile, he was covertly monitoring his passengers under the suspicion that they were foreign spies. A single video clip has accumulated over 7.6 million views on a single Chinese platform.

The encounter occurred on May 22 along a national highway in the remote mountainous district of Ankang, Shanxi Province. Due to the scarcity of public transportation in the area, the two travellers—Lex Fridman, a prominent American tech YouTuber with followers exceeding 5 million, and British travel content creator Mike Okay with 1.27 million subscribers—asked for a ride through the translation app on their phones.

A truck driver, Yang agreed to give a lift following a brief exchange.

In an interview with Chinese media, Yang said he kept worrying whether the two were secret agents. While maintaining a warm welcome throughout the ride, he actually used his peripheral vision to monitor them—until he eventually concluded that "these two people are actually quite normal."

"They were engaged in conversation, and I was observing them covertly,” Yang said. “They immediately sensed my scrutiny and explained they were discussing the contrasts between rural and urban life, and the pursuit of personal happiness," he added. “At that moment, I thought to myself, they probably aren't spies."

During the journey, Yang shared details of his personal life with the travellers, saying that his primary focus is generating income to support his family and fund his son's education.

"My life is very simple," Yang told the two influencers the money he used to buy his first truck was earned by mining coal in a high-gas coal mine.

"High-gas coal mining is extremely dangerous. Accidents happen on a regular basis," Yang told them. "Back then, I was putting my life on the line."

In May, a Coal Mine explosion in Shanxi Province—the same province Yang lives in—resulted in at least 82 confirmed fatalities, 2 missing persons, and 128 injuries, marking China's most severe mining disaster in 17 years.

"We are so glad you are alive today and that you made it through those hard times," the two foreigners replied.

On May 27, Fridman commented on the social media platform X: "I spent the last few weeks traveling around China with a backpack. Met so many new friends, got to know people from all walks of life. I was deeply touched and inspired by everyone's kindness."

However, Yang was unable to view the post due to internet controls by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The topic topped the trending charts on Chinese social media. Some netizens said, "Suspecting foreigners of being spies shows that anti-espionage brainwashing has been incredibly successful." Others joked, "The driver acted like an undercover state security agent the entire way."

The 'Walking 500,000 RMB' Phenomenon

The phrase "Walking 500,000 RMB" is a slang term on the Chinese internet referring to how much the CCP said it would pay whoever reports a foreign spy in China.

"My first reaction would’ve been the exact same: 'Wait, are they spies?'" one netizen said.

Another commented, "It feels like so many foreigners are running off into the deep mountains these days. It’s hard not to suspect them."

Other comments included:

"If they actually were spies, this driver would’ve hit the jackpot."
"The state security propaganda has been super effective."
"A nationwide spy hunt."
"Should've just driven them straight to the police station."
"Props to the driver, his political awareness is on point."
"Having counter-espionage awareness is the right move. Every citizen should have it. Safety first."
"You've still got to stay vigilant."

On April 15 this year, which marked the CCP's " National Security Education Day," the state security departments successively released several bizarre cases of alleged espionage. These included a ride-hailing driver whose foreign passengers turned out to be overseas spies, and an angler who discovered a foreign spy illegally catching butterflies.

Wu Ming (pseudonym), a Chinese scholar, told the Chinese version of the Epoch Times that the state-led anti-spy propaganda has flooded official media and social platforms, creating a massive wave that “seems to be triggering a mass movement.”

"This trend is no longer just about instilling security awareness in netizens; it has evolved into an online movement of nationwide panic and universal suspicion," Wu said.