The 10 Domestic Stories Chinese Readers Can't Stop Following – May 28

Here’s today’s ranking of the top 10 most-read domestic stories in China, in economics, finance and current affairs. We want to help you get a sense of what’s trending in the Chinese language sphere.

Internet users remained very interested in the tragic ultramarathon incident in Northwest China. Some new topics made it to the list, such as as Taiwan’s worsening Covid-19 outbreak, with vaccine shortages leading to authorities on the mainland extending offers to bolster supply. Users also showed interest in the 12 universities designated as future hubs of technological research.

1. 21 runners killed during mountain race in China’s northwestern province of Gansu

21 people were killed after extreme weather including hail, freezing rain and high winds hit runners participating in a 100 km cross-country mountain race in China, local officials have said.

2. Cases of Indian variant found in Guangzhou

Public health authorities in Guangzhou’s Liwan District have stated that a person has been found to have tested positive (link in Chinese) for the new mutated strain of Covid-19, thought to have arrived in China from India.

3. Beijing expresses willingness to arrange for vaccines to be sent to compatriots in Taiwan

A spokesperson for the Chinese central government’s Taiwan Affairs Office has said that they are willing to make arrangements so that the residents in Taiwan will have vaccines available from the mainland as soon as possible.

4. Nanjing government announces the city will no longer approve construction of villas

New planning rules implemented by the municipal government in the eastern city of Nanjing strictly prohibit (external source, in Chinese) the construction of villas and other such low-rise residential buildings. The rules further stipulate that any low-rise buildings that are allowed to be built should meet the requirements of the urban design in the area where they are located, paying attention to scale, proportion, volume, style and color, etc., while being in harmony with the surrounding environment.

5. Suspect arrested following deadly hit-and-run attack in Dalian

Five people were killed on Saturday in the northeastern city of Dalian, when a man drove his car (link in Chinese) at speed into a crowd of pedestrians. The 32-year-old suspect, surnamed Liu, has been detained. It is reported that he was upset because of a failed investment and wanted to “take revenge on society”.

6. China reaches 310 million 5G mobile terminals

Liu Liehong, the Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, told media at a big data expo that the number of 5G terminal connections in China currently exceeds 310 million (external source, in Chinese), accounting for more than 80% of the global total.

7. 12 higher education institutions designated as future technical colleges

China’s Ministry of Education has announced the list (external source, in Chinese) of the first batch of future technology colleges, including 12 universities including Peking University and Tsinghua University. These institutions will serve as the bedrock for the future of cutting-edge of Chinese technological and scientific research.

8. Only two vials of AstraZeneca vaccine left in Taipei

Ko Wen-je, the mayor of Taipei, has said that the Covid-19 outbreak on the island is getting worse. He went on to highlight the island’s vaccine shortage (external source, in Chinese), saying that in the city there were just two vials of AztraZeneca vaccine left, enough for 20 doses.

9. 2 out of 3 cosmetic injections are fake, CCTV finds

CCTV News has revealed that one of the main ingredients in cosmetic injections, hyaluronic acid, is only real in 33.3% of instances (external source, in Chinese), causing an uproar online.

10. Tesla establishes data center in China

Tesla has built a new data center in Shanghai to store information gathered on local users and their vehicles, as the electric-car maker seeks to accommodate a tightening regulatory regime and see off unsubstantiated claims that its cars pose national security risks.

Read the top 10 global news on the same day.

Translated by intern reporter Harry Nicholls.

The daily ranking of most read news stories among Chinese people, about China and global affairs, is jointly provided to you by Caixin Insight and HANA Data, an artificial intelligence technology team.

The key indicators calculated on the list are based on mass data sourced from China’s mainstream social media platforms and online news websites. Click here for a detailed introduction of our methodology.