The images from the latest Chinese coal mine disaster are hauntingly familiar. Dazed miners, anguished families, the frantic scramble for answers. But the details emerging from this particular tragedy are darker than most.
This wasn't just a cave-in. It was a secret world. Illegal tunnels, unregistered workers, a system designed to evade scrutiny.
It smells of the darkest days of the industry. The death toll is unclear. The official figures are always lower than the whispers.
The real story is in the leaks. Someone inside the local government is talking. They say the mine was a ticking bomb.
Regulations ignored. Safety violations systemic. For the leadership in Beijing, this is a political landmine.
Xi Jinping's signature campaign on safety and oversight? It looks hollow now. The narrative of a controlled, orderly China takes a hit.
This will not stay within the party's internal comms. The West will pick it up. The pressure will build.
Watch for the purge. Local officials will fall. Someone will be made a scapegoat.
But the question remains: how many more secret tunnels are out there? The game is about appearances. This disaster shatters the carefully curated facade.
