Meaning:
“吹哨” literally means “to blow a whistle,” and “人” means “a person.” This term, translated from the English term “whistleblower,” refers to someone who calls public or official attention to something, such as criminal activity, kept secret. The word began literally referring to someone who blows a whistle. Later it became associated with referees overseeing sporting events. Soon after, the phrase “to blow the whistle” gained metaphorical meaning as “calling public or official attention to something kept secret.” The term caught Chinese netizens’ attention after Li Wenliang, a doctor among the earliest to warn people against the COVID outbreak in Wuhan, died after contracting the virus.
Example:
A: 听说这家企业因为销售过期肉类食品被查了。
Tīngshuō zhèjiā qǐyè yīnwèi xiāoshòu guòqī ròulèi shípǐn bèi chá le。
I’ve heard that this company is under investigation for selling expired meat products.
B: 是的，有公司内部吹哨人举报。
Shì de，yǒu gōngsī nèibù chuīshàorén jǔbào。
Indeed. Some whistleblower inside the company reported their wrongdoing to the authorities.