【Epoch Times News on May 22, 2026】Epoch Times curates must-read articles for readers every day:
1.
Disorder at the Opening of Sam’s Club in Shandong Province, Theft Incident Sparks Discussion
Recently, Sam’s Club membership stores in Jinan and Qingdao, Shandong Province simultaneously opened, attracting a large number of people to rush in, causing scenes of chaos on-site. Several netizens posted videos claiming that in the newly opened Sam’s Club in Jinan and Qingdao, people were seen stealing cooked food, and leftover chicken bones, empty drink bottles, and other items were being discarded in the shopping area. The related videos have sparked heated discussions.
2.
Escalation of Violence Incident at Shenyang Technical College, Trending on Weibo and Later Deleted
Recently, the violent incident on campus at Shenyang Technical College continued to ferment on social media. The school staff responded on May 21st, stating that “the incident has ended,” the assailant was taken away, but no details were disclosed, sparking public attention. On May 22nd, the news briefly trended on Weibo, but discussions and search results were later deleted.
3.
Marriage Registration in Mainland China Exposed for Faking, Civil Affairs Bureau Hires People to Fill in
Recently, leaked information from the mainland Chinese journalist group regarding the 520 marriage registration event revealed that civil affairs bureaus were hiring young people from communities to pretend to be couples and queue up. Civil Affairs Bureau personnel told journalists that the number of people getting married is continuously decreasing, and some civil affairs systems are facing pressure to “fulfill the mission,” leading to resorting to such desperate measures.
4.
Wang He: Rare Earth “Battle” Between China and Japan, Japan’s “Rare Earth Diplomacy” Gains Success
In 2026, the CCP officially played the “rare earth card” against Japan, banning the export of all dual-use items (with rare earth-related technology as the core) to Japanese military users, military purposes, and all other end users that contribute to enhancing Japan’s military capabilities. At the same time, a threat was made that countries providing Japan with strategic resources will also face retaliation.
5.
Current Situation of Shanghai Real Estate, Banks Vie with Intermediaries for Mortgages
Recently, there has been a new round of mortgage loan competition among banks in Shanghai. With the slowdown in personal business loans, car loans, and consumer loans, many banks see mortgage loans as an important “lifeline” for retail business, not only increasing assessment indicators but also aggressively competing for real estate intermediary resources, with even staff attire and offering coffee and milk tea becoming competitive methods.
6.
Price Reduction by Apple Triggers Chain Reaction, Domestic Mobile Phones Spark Price Reduction Trend
In recent days, following Apple’s promotion of price reductions in mainland China, there has been a wave of price reductions in the domestic mobile phone market, with companies like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, Vivo, and OPPO synchronously announcing price reductions or subsidy policies.
7.
Argentina’s Key River Governance Bidding, US Warns of CCP’s Malicious Influence
According to the latest letter obtained by Reuters, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Brian Mast, has officially issued a warning to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing the CCP of trying to maliciously interfere in a major $10 billion canal contract bidding in Argentina through private sector agents.
8.
Interest Rate of Yu’ebao, a Leading Money Market Fund in China, Falls Below 1%, Currency Funds Enter Low-Profit Stage
In May, the “7-day annualized yield” of Yu’ebao, China’s largest money market fund, officially fell below 1%, hitting a new low since its establishment. Yu’ebao is not alone, as nearly 40% of money market funds have yields below 1%, already in a state of “surviving on low profits.”
9.
Three Major A-share Indexes Fall by Over 2%, Shanghai Index Records Largest Decline in Nearly Two Months
On May 21st, while stock markets in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan all rose, A-shares surged and then fell with high volume, with nearly 4,800 individual stocks showing gains. All three major indexes fell by over 2%, with the Shanghai Composite Index marking its largest decline in nearly two months, falling below 4100 points; the Star 50 Index fell by over 3%, once rising over 3% during trading. Meanwhile, Hong Kong stocks opened high but then fell, with the Hang Seng Index dropping over 1% and the Hang Seng Tech Index falling by over 2%, attracting market attention.
10.
Rubio Criticizes Communist Party for Causing Hardships in Cuba, Stirring Discussion among Overseas Chinese
On Wednesday, May 20th, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio released a Spanish-language video on Cuban Independence Day addressing the Cuban people, directly accusing the Cuban communist regime as the root cause of national decline and people’s suffering. His remarks sparked discussions among overseas Chinese.
11.
US Indicts Former Cuban Leader, Analysis: CCP is Nervous
On May 20th, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted former Cuban leader Raul Castro on charges of conspiring to kill a U.S. citizen, four counts of murder, and two counts of aircraft destruction. Raul Castro is considered an “old friend” by the CCP, and his indictment has caused concern within the CCP.
12.
Two Chinese Container Companies Listed in Hong Kong Plunge After U.S. Accusation of Monopolizing Container Production during COVID Pandemic
The stock prices of two Chinese container companies listed in Hong Kong plummeted due to the impact of the U.S. accusation of colluding to monopolize container production and inflate prices during the COVID pandemic. Singamas Container Holdings Ltd. saw its stock price drop by 13.6% on Thursday, May 21st.
13.
Hot Discussion after Tax Bureau Employees in Haikou Play Mobile Games with Legs Up on Table at Work
Employees of the Tax Bureau of Haikou, Hainan Province, were exposed for playing mobile games with their legs up on the table during work. The official response criticized the behavior and transferred the employees from their original positions. Many netizens commented, “Isn’t this the case nationwide?”
14.
State-Owned Enterprise’s Military Industry Giant Fakes Nearly $10 Billion, Stock “ST”-Delisted
China’s state-owned enterprise-affiliated listed company Inter Huajin Group has been put under other risk warnings due to multiple years of financial fraud, and its stock abbreviation has been changed to “ST Inter Huajin.” It was reported that the company inflated its operating revenue by 9.66 billion RMB from 2018 to 2021, resulting in penalties for the company and several senior executives.
15.
Accusations of “Remilitarization” by China and Russia, City Government Counters
On Wednesday, May 20th, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin accused Japan of speeding up “remilitarization,” prompting a counter by the city government. Masanao Ozaki, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, stated on Thursday that the accusations from China and Russia are “unfounded” and urged China and Russia to change their behaviors that have caused “serious concerns” internationally.