Consistently, we demonstrated that METTL14 downregulation in ESCC abrogated the inhibitory effect of miR‐99a‐5p on TRIB2 expression by hindering the biogenesis of mature miR‐99a‐5p from primary mir‐99a and that this, in turn, increased the CSC characteristics and radioresistance of ESCC. This evidence concerns the gene TRIB2 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.