Japan Marks 76th Anniversary of World War II Surrender, University Investigates Top Infectious Disease Expert, Taliban Seize Presidential Palace

Here is today’s ranking of the 10 most-read news stories in China, in economics, finance and current affairs, to help give you a sense of what’s trending in the Chinese language sphere.

Chinese social media users have been paying close attention to the 76th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in WWII. They are also following the Taliban’s taking control over the presidential palace in Kabul.

1. Japan marks 76th anniversary of surrender in World War II

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (external source, in Chinese) marked the 76th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II in Tokyo on Sunday. Three ministers from Suga’s cabinet and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid a visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which is dedicated to Japan’s war dead. China expressed its firm opposition to the visit

2. Japanese prime minster vows country won’t wage war again

Suga promised Sunday that Japan would never go to war again (external source, in Chinese). Members of his cabinet paid a visit to Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Japan’s war dead, including 14 Japanese military leaders convicted as “Class A” war criminals by a tribunal after World War II.

3. Fudan University to investigate infectious disease expert for alleged plagiarism

Fudan University (external source, in Chinese) announced Sunday it had opened an investigation into well-known infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong in response to online accusations that he plagiarized his dissertation, which was published in 2000.

4. Taliban seize presidential palace in Kabul

The Taliban took control of the presidential palace in the Afghan capital of Kabul (external source, in Chinese) Sunday, consolidating their grip on the country after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled abroad and agreed to resign.

Photo: VCG

5. China’s vaccinated population passes 770 million

As of Thursday, China had administered more than 1.8 billion doses (external source, in Chinese) of Covid-19 vaccines, according to the country’s National Health Council, with more than 770 million people fully vaccinated.

6. Coronavirus is now out of control in Tokyo, expert says

A member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s (external source, in Chinese) advisory panel of experts on coronaviruses said Thursday that it is now impossible to control the spread of Covid-19 in the capital.

7. Education authority announces the closure of 286 Sino-foreign partnership programs

The Ministry of Education (external source, in Chinese) approved the termination of 286 Sino-foreign partnership programs and jointly managed institutions on Sunday.

8. China will stop charging families a fee for having too many children

Proposed amendments to the Law on Population and Family Planning (external source, in Chinese) will abolish the social maintenance fee that families have to pay for having too many children. The changes will also remove any provisions that do not fit with the three-child policy.

9. Death toll in Haiti earthquake nears 1,300

Haiti’s death toll rose to 1,297 (external source, in Chinese) on Sunday after a devastating earthquake struck the island nation a day earlier, according to the country’s civil protection service.

10. Hong Kong’s largest opposition group announces dissolution

The Civil Human Rights Front (external source, in Chinese), the biggest opposition alliance in Hong Kong, announced its dissolution in a statement Sunday following a unanimous resolution. It came as a number of opposition groups and platforms, including the Hong Kong Professional Teacher’s Union, had been shut down.

Translated by intern reporter Chen Bingyi.

Caixin has not independently verified the veracity or accuracy of all of the headlines or stories.

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.