In May 2026, a massive fireworks factory explosion in Hunan and a deadly coal mine disaster in Shanxi triggered political shockwaves that reached all the way to Beijing. Rising provincial leaders suddenly found their careers in jeopardy. Then came a series of unexpected developments: Defense Minister Dong Jun vanished from public view, senior official Xu Liuping was placed under investigation, and Peking University President Gong Qihuang was abruptly removed just days after appearing alongside Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Were these merely unrelated events? Or are we witnessing a deeper power struggle ahead of the CCP’s 21st Party Congress? In this episode, we examine the disasters, the political fallout, and the remarkable sequence of events that has many China observers asking the same question: How many coincidences are too many coincidences?
Source: Two Disasters. Five Officials. A CCP Power Struggle Hidden in Plain Sight
