WeChat Offers Cloud Storage, Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral Plans, Lithuania Recalls Ambassador to China

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 plans for a Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone. They are also following news about the death of the German ambassador to China, Jan Hecker, just two weeks into his posting.

1. WeChat to offer paid cloud storage service for chat records

WeChat plans to provide a paid cloud storage service (external source) for users to back up their chat records, state-run China Daily reported.

2. Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral plans leaked

The British authorities are reportedly looking into the reasons behind the leak of the plans for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral (external source, in Chinese), which were reported by U.S. media last week.

3. Chinese authorities vow to take action against workplace gender discrimination

The All China Women’s Federation, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security have jointly issued a notice on better protecting fresh female graduates’ rights at workplace, including conducting joint regulatory talks (external source, in Chinese) with employers that are suspected of gender discrimination.

4. Lithuania recalls its ambassador to China

Lithuania has recalled its ambassador to China for consultations (external sources), according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, following a dispute with Beijing in early August over the European country’s decision to allow the Taiwan authorities to open a representative office using the island’s name.

5. Japan’s Suga to resign as prime minister

Suffering sinking public support due to his government’s unpopular response to Covid-19, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that he will resign as early as this month, forcing the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to choose another leader who will become prime minister.

6. Xiaomi denies reports of its CEO Lei Jun selling 308 million company shares

Following reports that its founder and CEO Lei Jun has sold 308 million shares, electronics giant Xiaomi Corp. clarified that the change in shareholding (external source, in Chinese) was not a sale, but came as he no longer controls a charitable foundation he co-founded, which holds 308 million Class B shares of Xiaomi.

7. Japan confirms first cases of mu variant

Japan’s health ministry has confirmed the first cases of the mu variant of the coronavirus (external source, in Chinese) in the country, which were detected in two travelers who arrived in June and July from abroad.

8. Hong Kong star to renounce Canadian citizenship

Tse Ting-fung, a Hong Kong actor and singer, said in an interview that he is in the process of renouncing his Canadian citizenship (external source, in Chinese).

Photo: VCG

9. China issues plan for Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone

China has issued a plan for building a Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin Island, located in the Guangdong province city of Zhuhai, in a bid to deepen collaboration between Guangdong and Macao to promote the diversified development of Macao’s economy.

10. Germany’s ambassador to China dies

The German ambassador to China, Jan Hecker, has died after about two weeks in the post, the German foreign ministry announced Monday. He was 54.

Translated by reporter Cai Xuejiao.

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.