A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry has revealed that the image of a Chinese captive released by the Islamic State (IS) in August bears resemblance to a Chinese citizen, who is currently abroad.

Hong Lei did not elaborate further during his media briefing on Friday. A day earlier, he told the press that China is working to verify the reports that a Chinese national had been kidnapped by IS.

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The picture of the Chinese man released by IS shows him with a swollen left eye in a yellow attire. The captive was identified as Fan Jinghui.

According to The New York Times, Fan, a 50-year-old freelance advertising consultant, had worked as a school teacher in Beijing in the past.

Images of Fan were posted alongside images of a 48-year-old Norwegian national Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad in IS magazine Dabiq. The captives were labelled "for sale." Besides their names, the dates of birth and addresses of both men were provided.

Fan is the first Chinese national to be kidnapped by IS for ransom. It is unclear how and where both men were captured by the Islamic militants. Grimsgaard-Ofstad is believed to have been kidnapped in January. Fan's family has refused to comment to the press.

It is unclear if IS has been in contact with either China or Norway regarding a ransom for the release of both men. IS claim China "abandoned" Fan by refusing to pay the ransom for his release. The Chinese government has not provided details about any contact with the terrorists. The Chinese Embassy in Iraq recently noted that it has no information about the kidnapping.

China's stance on not paying ransom to terrorists is well known - so is Norway's. But with a "limited-time offer" to secure the release of the prisoners, pundits are wondering whether these nations would be forced to act against their will.

Experts have also shared the opinion that the abduction of Fan could provide the impetus for China to enter the fight against the IS state.

TagsIslamic State (IS) Chinese Captive, Fan Jinghui, Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad