China’s Traffic Management Research Institute released an announcement Monday refuting the rumor surrounding a “2022 national version of traffic lights” that has triggered so much online debate.

The so-called new national standard for traffic lights began on July 1, 2017, which means there is no 2022 national standard for traffic lights at all, said the announcement.

The traffic lights used in all parts of China are in line with the national standard and do not need to be replaced, said the institute.

The announcement explained that the current national standard has never included regulations of traffic light countdown displays.

However, some places have adopted displays based on the Countdown Display Unit for Traffic Lights GA/T508-2014, which can remain in use.

Sun Zhengliang, the designer of the 2017 traffic lights, has no social media accounts, and his identity and photo were used by others to defraud the public through livestreams, said the announcement.