Since the closing day of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Two Sessions, multiple accidents and explosions have been reported in cities across China. Notably, the CCP-controlled China Central Television (CCTV) dispatched reporters to the scene of one such explosion, but they encountered obstruction and harassment from the local police in an attempt to censor the reporting.
Multiple Accidents
Fires, explosions, and accidents caused by negligence by Chinese officials were not uncommon in the past, as lax enforcement of safety standards is prevalent in China.On the morning of March 11, a fire broke out at an asphalt plant in Jishou City, Hunan Province in China. Videos circulated online showed a massive mushroom cloud and thick smoke at the scene, with occasional bursts of flames. The Epoch Times could not independently verify the videos.
According to official CCP reports, the incident resulted in two deaths, one severe injury, and three minor injuries. Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire was caused by sparks from electric cutting during factory demolition.
On the same day, two explosions occurred at two separate coal mines in Xieqiao Town, Anhui Province, and Zhongyang County, Shanxi Province. The Chinese state media reported that seven miners died in each of those accidents.
Also on March 11, a fire and explosion occurred at a local tech company in Liuhe, Hubei Province. Witnesses reported flames shooting up at the scene, accompanied by continuous explosions, forcing nearby residents to evacuate. An employee in the building revealed that a fire originated from a neighboring facility but spread to their building, eventually leading to the explosions. Local authorities reported three minor injuries and claimed that there were no fatalities in the incident.
In the early morning of March 13, an explosion and fire erupted in a four-story building in a residential compound in Sanhe City, Hebei Province. A dashboard camera recorded the moment of the explosion; it captured a fireball erupting from the residential building, reaching a height of three floors. One building was almost leveled to the ground, while another suffered severe damage, with half of the building’s structure remaining. Over ten cars on the road were covered in dust and debris, with shattered windows. The explosion debris even struck buildings across the road.
Following the incident, the CCP’s official reports claimed that the accident resulted in seven deaths and 27 injuries, attributing the cause to a suspected gas leak in a nearby restaurant leading to the explosion.
‘Stability Maintenance’
A video circulated online showed that around noon on March 13, the CCTV channel connected with a frontline reporter at the scene of the incident. As the reporter was describing the situation, two men in plain clothes suddenly appeared, blocking the camera and forcibly removing the reporter, interrupting the live broadcast.When the camera returned to the studio, the host appeared to be astonished since all content on the Chinese regime’s propaganda channel was strictly controlled and approved beforehand. It was unimaginable that anyone would obstruct the CCTV channel’s live broadcast. This video spread widely on China’s heavily censored social media platforms but was soon deleted by the Chinese censors in the evening.
Furthermore, another CCTV reporter, Xu Mengzhe, released a short video of her being pushed and manhandled by over a dozen police officers while reporting at the explosion site.
Political Turmoil in the CCP Leadership
Chen Pokong, a China current affairs commentator living in the United States, pointed out that the CCTV dispatching reporters to the explosion scene was a rare move. The local authorities daring to obstruct the CCP’s primary propaganda mouthpiece is also uncommon, and the subsequent apology from the local officials was equally rare. These three rare occurrences reflect the turmoil in the CCP’s political arena.On March 15, in an interview with The Epoch Times, Mr. Chen said that the on-site CCTV reporting is unusual because they typically avoid reporting such events. The propaganda mouthpiece’s programming always focuses on showing a harmonious and prosperous society under the CCP.
He explained that the local authority’s actions were in line with the regime’s “stability maintenance” measures, which aim to silence dissent and suppress any information that might portray China negatively. Whenever accidents or incidents occur during Xi Jinping’s era, local officials are busy carrying out the so-called “stability maintenance” and controlling public opinion.
Mr. Chen believes that if CCTV dispatches reporters to the scene, they must be instructed by higher-level authorities rather than a decision that CCTV can make on its own.
“Possibly the CCTV consulted with Li Shulei, the current head of the Publicity Department of the CCP, who then consulted with Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, as the Publicity Department falls under Cai Qi’s authority,” said Mr. Chen. “If Cai Qi made the final call, it would indicate that the order did not come from Xi Jinping himself.”
He said that if Xi still firmly holds power amid his health issues, Cai might not dare to make such a decision unilaterally and would seek advice from Xi. According to Xi’s character, he would never allow any negative news to be exposed. Therefore, Cai might have wanted to demonstrate his authority when Xi was suffering from ill health, thus agreeing to CCTV reporting from the scene of the incident. As for the local officials, if it were foreign media or local tabloids, it would not apologize at all. The reason for the apology was that they later realized they had angered the CCP’s propaganda mouthpiece, potentially directly offending Cai, thus being forced to apologize.
Mr. Chen commented: “The top leadership of the CCP may be in turmoil, with internal power struggles leading to [different factions] issuing directives independently. Xi Jinping cannot oversee everything comprehensively. He may not be able to take charge personally due to health reasons.
He said this is the inevitable result of the rule of man in the absence of the rule of law. That is, the regime relies solely on one person to make all decisions, and when this person cannot make decisions himself, the people below him in the hierarchy will issue their own directives to show their power and authority.
