Photo: VCG

The Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan on Monday refuted a rumor about chartered flights from Kazakhstan's Almaty to Urumqi in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The rumors circulating online recently claimed that there will be chartered passenger flights from Almaty to Urumqi, and only ethnic Kazaks in Xinjiang are qualified to apply for a ticket, which costs about 10,000 yuan ($1,548).

People who intend to take the flight must submit their personal information through social media platforms like WhatsApp and pay in advance, the rumors said.

The embassy said the above rumors are false information. It reminded Chinese citizens in Kazakhstan not to believe such rumors, and protect their personal information from being utilized in frauds amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fights from Kazakhstan to China have not yet been resumed. Kazakhstan recently resumed and increased international flights to Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and the Maldives from February 10, and increased the number of flights to Turkey and the UAE from February 15, the Astana Times reported.