Photos of fake Chinese passports went viral on Weibo. (Photo : Twitter)
On Sino Weibo, photos of new Chinese passports went viral and made a lot of people excited. The photos showed a newly issued passport for frequent travelers.
The photos were then deemed fake and opened a new controversy on Chinese passports. The fake passports were claimed to be usable for visa-free entry to 141 countries.
The fake new Chinese passport can be allegedly used for entry to South Korea, Australia, the United Stated and the Schengen area.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly denied that such a passport exists. The vice minister of China's Internet watchdog, Ren Xianling, said that the government was "installing brakes on a car before driving off the road."
However, the post was already shared 100,000 times on social media before the ministry was able to clarify the matter during a press conference in Beijing.
China produces the biggest number of tourists annually. The tourism market in the country is the biggest in the world.
With so many Chinese who are keen to travel, the story about the fake news naturally got a lot of attention. Many of the middle class was disappointed upon learning that the news was untrue.
China's passport is also one of the worst in the world because of various scams and controversies surrounding it. Many first time travelers experience problems when out of the country because of issues of counterfeit.
There are 120 million outbound tourists in 2015 and spent $104.5 billion. The numbers increased by 12 percent from 2014.
The foreign ministry also said that the fake news was spurred by the large demand for better visa processes and the need for more visa exemptions.
Sino Weibo users expressed frustration and hoped that the ministry will work harder.
Guo Shaochun, director general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Consular Affairs, said, "We will continue to spare no effort in visa facilitation talks with other countries, as we have already made progress."
