The game is up for Beijing. A devastating coal mine explosion in Shanxi province has ripped the lid off a sprawling underground network of illegal operations. Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation tell me that the blast, which claimed 24 lives, was no ordinary accident.
It was a cover-up waiting to happen. The mine, officially shuttered months ago, was still running at full tilt. Secret tunnels, unregistered workers, a shadow payroll. This wasn't a rogue operator. This was a system.
Westminster take note. This is what happens when regulatory capture meets political pressure. The local party cadre on the ground, desperate to meet production targets, looked the other way. Now the bodies are being counted, and the blame game has begun.
The key figure? The mine's owner. A man with deep connections to the provincial government. He is currently in custody, but the chatter in the corridors of power is that he will not go down alone. There are already whispers of a purge at the provincial level.
But here's the rub for Xi Jinping. He has staked his reputation on cleaning up safety standards. This disaster, coming just months after a similar tragedy in Xinjiang, shows that the rot runs deeper than any campaign can reach.
The polling impact? Minimal in the short term. The Chinese public is accustomed to such incidents. But within the party, the knives are out. Factions are manoeuvring. This is a gift to Xi's rivals, a sign that his vaunted governance system is not as watertight as it seems.
Back in the UK, the Foreign Office is watching closely. There will be calls for sanctions, for a boycott of Chinese coal. But don't hold your breath. The economic ties are too deep. The game continues.
