China has been forced to deny claims that it is marinating dead bodies, canning them and selling them as a meat product in Africa, after a bizarre Facebook hoax went viral.

Rumours of the alleged trade in human meat first began circulating on social media thanks to a series of photographs of what appeared to be skinned people in a meat factory.

Zambian press was accused of encouraging the rumours, after publishing articles that quoted alleged sources from inside the Chinese meat factories.

Hoax: China had to deny rumours that it was selling its dead bodies to Africa as a 'corned beef' meat product, after these macabre images were circulated on social media

Rumours: China accused Zambian press of encouraging the allegations, after reports were published that claimed to quote sources from inside Chinese meat factories saying that the idea was sparked when China ran out of space for its dead bodies

According to the alleged sources, the idea to use human meat came when China ran out of space to dispose of its dead.

Others claimed Beijing preferred to save its 'good meat' for richer, more powerful countries.

But China's ambassador to Zambia has issued a furious denial of the allegations.

‘Today a local tabloid newspaper is openly spreading a rumour, claiming that the Chinese use human meat to make corned beef and sell it to Africa,' said Yang Youming, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

‘This is completely a malicious slandering and vilification which is absolutely unacceptable to us. We hereby express our utmost anger and the strongest condemnation over such an act.’

He reportedly claimed that the rumours were being circulated by 'people with ulterior motives were attempting to destroy the long-standing partnership between Zambia and China’.

Revelation: While the images shared on social media had many fooled, a hoax-busting website showed that at least one of them was taken as a publicity stunt for video game Resident Evil 6. Pictured, a publicity shot from the Resident Evil campaign - which is suspiciously similar to the 'Chinese' photos shared on Facebook

Bizarre: The image, which appears to show a dead human body in an abattoir, was actually taken during a publicity stunt in London's Smithfield Market

Probe: China's ambassador to Zambia called for an investigation into the allegations, which led to an apology from the Zambian Deputy Defence Minister Christopher Mulenga

One Facebook user shared the images alongside the caption: ‘Chinese people have started producing corned beef with their dead bodies and sending them to Africa.

‘Please stay away from corned beef irrespective of brand, most especially in Africa and from Afro-Asian grocery shops.’

While the gruesome photographs were enough to fool many, hoax-busting website Snopes.com pointed out that at least one of the images was from a 2012 marketing campaign for the video game Resident Evil 6.

The image, which appears to show a dead human body in an abattoir, was actually taken during a publicity stunt in London's Smithfield Market.

A fake shop, called Wesker & Son Resident Evil Human Butchery, sprang up at the market selling meat products shaped to resemble human body parts.

Nevertheless, China's ambassador to Zambia called for an investigation into the allegations, which led to an apology from the Zambian Deputy Defence Minister Christopher Mulenga.

Stunt: A fake shop, called Wesker & Son Resident Evil Human Butchery (pictured), sprang up at the market selling meat products shaped to resemble human body parts

Creative: The Smithfield butchers made what appeared to be human body parts out of animal products, such as pork, as a publicity campaign for the video game in 2012

‘The government of Zambia regrets the incident in view of the warm relations that exist between Zambia and China,’ he said, as reported by China’s Xinhua News Agency.

‘We shall make sure that relevant government authorities will take up the investigations and give a comprehensive statement.’