Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Calls Story of Chinese Kabul Airport Takeover ‘Fake News,’ 969 Million China Citizens Fully Vaccinated, Qianhai Zone Expanded

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 a plan released by the government to further integrate Guangdong province with the Hong Kong special administrative region (SAR). They are also following the year-end deadline set for after-school institutions that teach school curriculum subjects to register as non-profit entities.

1. Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral plans leaked

The British authorities are reportedly looking into 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.

2. Report of Taliban’s plan to hand over airbase to China is “fake news”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing Tuesday that Indian media’s report saying Taliban plans to hand over an Afghan airbase to China is “purely fake news” (external source).

3. China has fully vaccinated over 969 million people

China had administered more than 2.11 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines as of Monday, and more than 969.7 million people have been fully vaccinated (external source, in Chinese), according to the National Health Commission.

4. Taliban announce members of the new Afghan government

Taliban on Tuesday announced the new acting government in Afghanistan (external source, in Chinese) and the list of cabinet members, naming senior Taliban leader Mohammad Hasan Akhund as acting Prime Minister.

5. More than 660 celebrity-related companies cancel registrations

More than 660 companies (external source, in Chinese) related to celebrity culture have canceled their business registrations this year amid the recent regulatory crackdown on the booming entertainment industry.

6. State Council urges end to restrictions on unvaccinated residents

The State Council’s inter-agency task force has urged localities to revoke measures (external source, in Chinese) that prohibit unvaccinated residents from accessing public areas like supermarkets, hospitals, stations and schools, Wu Liangyou, deputy head of the National Health Commission’s disease control and prevention division, said at a Tuesday press conference.

7. Hong Kong to forego quarantine for visiting mainland and Macao residents

Hong Kong will allow Chinese mainland and Macao residents to enter the city without going through mandatory quarantine starting Sept. 15, implementing a measure that had been delayed since May, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced Tuesday.

8. China expands Qianhai reform zone eightfold to boost Hong Kong integration

China’s financial reform zone in Shenzhen has been allowed an eightfold expansion as part of a plan released by the government to further integrate Guangdong province with the Hong Kong special administrative region (SAR).

Photo: VCG

9. China’s after-school tutoring companies must register as non-profits by year-end

China’s Ministry of Education has set a year-end deadline for after-school institutions that teach school curriculum subjects to register as non-profit entities, according to a sweeping new national regulation targeting the industry.

10. Gatherings not encouraged during upcoming holidays, expert says

An expert with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has advised people not to hold gatherings and parties (external source, in Chinese) during the upcoming Chinese holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday.

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.