Local authorities in Fangchenggang, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, have denied that a woman who used an "administrative law enforcement" certificate to coerce a motorist into yielding on a narrow rural road is a public sector employee.

An investigation team established by the Communist Party of China Fangchenggang Committee and the Fangchenggang city government said on Sunday that the certificate belonged to the woman's husband, a firefighter at a local station.

The incident gained widespread attention online after the motorist, surnamed Li, posted video clips showing the woman — driving a Mercedes-Benz SUV — demanding that he yield on July 22 and threatening to show the certificate. During the encounter, she also revealed Li's surname and home address.

Li said he later filed a complaint with local police and a government hotline. On Thursday, two officers visited his parents' home and told them Li should delete the videos and apologize to the woman or face possible detention for allegedly disclosing her personal information.

Netizens questioned whether the woman, surnamed Hou, was a public official and whether she had abused power, pointing to her possession of the certificate, access to Li's personal information and the police response.

The investigation found that Hou, 28, works for a private auto equipment company in Qinzhou and is not a government employee. Her parents are local villagers. Authorities said she used her husband's law enforcement certificate to intimidate Li.

The local fire rescue station has launched an investigation into the husband for failing to secure the certificate properly.

Addressing online criticism that Hou was flaunting wealth by driving a Mercedes, officials said the vehicle was a used car purchased for 178,000 yuan ($24,700), with a 78,000-yuan loan.

According to the statement, Hou and Li are distantly related and unacquainted. Their parents live about 800 meters apart. Hou's father, who was present during the incident, recognized Li and provided his information to his daughter.

Authorities said neither Hou nor her father accessed law enforcement databases, and there was no record of any requests or leaks involving Li's or his parents' personal information as of July.

Li contacted the police two days after the incident and was advised that the matter was a minor dispute that could be resolved through mediation.

On Thursday, Hou, her father and her husband reported that her license plate number had been shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, leading to 11 traffic violation notices from other provinces after others allegedly forged her plate and used it for illegal parking.

That evening, two officers accompanied the family to Li's home. Li was not there, so the police obtained his phone number from his mother and informed him that the video had exposed Hou's vehicle information. Police relayed Hou's demand for an apology and deletion of the videos. Repeated mediation efforts have failed to resolve the dispute.

The statement said the police committed no misconduct in handling the case but acknowledged that the officers used "imprecise and non-standard wording" when speaking to Li. The officers were later criticized internally.

While the dispute began as a routine traffic incident, poor handling led to public misunderstanding, the statement said. Local authorities pledged to improve official conduct and mediation protocols.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn