A viral video shared on X purports to show China’s military readiness in the event that the U.S. or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) decides to attack Russia.

#BREAKING | 🇨🇳⚡🇺🇲 WW3 ALERT

🚨🇨🇳⚡ – “China is ready to intervene militarily anywhere if the US or NATO decide to attack Russia,” according to the representative of the Chinese Ministry of Defense

Source https://t.co/YNmzH7n0UW pic.twitter.com/3eK18vZedQ

— MonitorX (@MonitorX99800) March 16, 2024

Verdict: False

The video, which was shared on YouTube by the South China Morning Post in 2018, shows President Xi Jinping giving orders to the Chinese army. There is no mention of the U.S., NATO, or Russia.

Fact Check:

Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in China in May to discuss foreign relations, according to Newsweek. Jinping is also set to travel to France in early May to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, Politico reported.

“#BREAKING | WW3 ALERT – “China is ready to intervene militarily anywhere if the US or NATO decide to attack Russia,” according to the representative of the Chinese Ministry of Defense,” the X video’s caption purports. The video, viewed over one million times, shows multiple instances of the Chinese army standing in military formation.

The claim is false, however. The video, which was shared on YouTube by the South China Morning Post in 2018, shows President Xi Jinping giving orders to the Chinese army.

“Chinese President Xi Jinping issued orders to the army as it started a new round of training in the new year. More than 7,000 officers and soldiers attended the rally at the main venue, where about 300 pieces of military equipment were arranged in rows,” the video’s description reads. There is no mention of the U.S., NATO, or Russia.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. Misbar also indicated the video showed Jinping giving orders to the Chinese army in 2018 via a Mar. 19 article.

In addition, the video does not appear on the Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s website. The Ministry also has not released a statement supporting the claim made via the viral X video’s caption. (RELATED: Does Video Show Jewish Community Claiming To Sever Ties With Israel?)

Check Your Fact has contacted the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.