Chinese Influencer Athena Reportedly Killed in Philippines After US$800,000 Ransom

Chinese influencer "Athena," whose real name is Kong Limei, has reportedly been confirmed dead after being kidnapped in the Philippines, with related hashtags topping China's trending topics on August 10.

Kong, born in 1995 in Guangdong Province, had more than 1 million followers and won third place in the Macau division of the 2021 Miss World competition.

Kong was reportedly lured to Manila in June 2023 by her close friend, identified as Li Yifei, under the pretext of traveling and filming overseas content. She was kidnapped upon arrival and held by a transnational gang allegedly led by Liu Hanwen.

The kidnappers reportedly demanded US$800,000 in ransom from her family. Even after the ransom was paid, Kong was allegedly killed and her body dumped. Her name has also been reported as appearing on a list of victims released by police in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

The case has been linked online to a broader investigation into the kidnapping and killing of Chinese citizens in the Philippines.

According to CCTV, Chinese authorities announced on July 20 that Liu Hanwen, a major suspect in an overseas kidnapping-and-murder case, had been handed over to Chinese police. Liu had fled to the United States and was arrested there in October 2024 following cooperation among Chinese, US, Philippine and South Korean law enforcement agencies.