On July 21, 2024, following the death of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party paid a visit to the Vietnamese Embassy to offer condolences. The CCTV evening news broadcast a 4-minute and 20-second footage of this event, while news of major disasters in various regions was downplayed.
Upon entering the Vietnamese Embassy, Xi Jinping, accompanied by top Chinese officials, paid his respects to the late Nguyen Phu Trong. Xi Jinping paused in front of Trong’s portrait, bowed three times in respect, signed the condolence book, and then had a meeting with the Vietnamese Ambassador to China, Fan Xingmei.
The 4-minute and 20-second footage showed Xi Jinping climbing the stairs to the second-floor chapel without using the handrail, walking steadily. Rumors circulating on social media during the Third Plenary Session of the Party Central Committee from the 15th to the 18th suggested that Xi had suffered a stroke. Even after the session concluded, with official media releasing footage of Xi’s participation, the rumors persisted.
In response, many internet users overseas shared this report on a certain platform, alleging that CCTV deliberately highlighted Xi’s condolences, including a close-up of his written tribute and signature to dispel the rumors.
During the evening news broadcast on July 20th, among the 15 main news items, besides Xi Jinping’s condolences for Nguyen Phu Trong, there was also news of the Chinese Communist Party sending condolences to the Vietnamese Communist Party Central Committee, with this piece of news lasting over three minutes.
However, amidst the ongoing tragic events such as the collapse of a bridge on a highway in Shanxi and a sudden mountain flood in Ya’an, Sichuan, resulting in significant casualties, the news coverage of these disasters was notably played down compared to the news of Nguyen Phu Trong’s passing.
Concerning the news of over thirty people missing due to the mountain flood in Ya’an, no mention was made in the evening news broadcast on the 20th.
Regarding the collapse of a bridge on a highway in Shaanxi’s Shangluo City, although it was the first news item in the broadcast, the over three-minute coverage mainly praised Xi Jinping for issuing important directives about the collapse, and Premier Li Keqiang for providing instructions.
The eighth report featured Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli visiting the site to supervise the rescue efforts after the bridge collapse. In the report of over 700 words, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang’s names were mentioned four times each, yet no details were provided about the casualties caused by the bridge collapse.
The major disasters in Shaanxi and Sichuan that drew public attention occurred on the evening of the 19th and the early hours of the 20th, respectively.
Around 8:40 p.m. on July 19th, a highway bridge collapse occurred in Zhashui County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi. As of noon on the 20th, seven vehicles had fallen into the river, resulting in 12 fatalities, with 18 vehicles and 31 individuals missing.
In the early hours of July 20th, sudden mountain floods occurred in Xinhuacun, Malei Township, Hanyuan County, Sichuan due to heavy rain. Preliminary investigations have revealed over 30 people missing and damage to over 40 houses.
In addition to these two incidents, various regions in China have been hit by disasters in recent days.
Baoji City in Shaanxi Province experienced days of heavy rainfall, leading to mudslides and river overflow, transforming the urban area into a waterlogged region overnight. As of 6 p.m. on the 18th, the floods had resulted in 5 deaths, 8 missing persons, and significant damage to roads and bridges.
On July 18th, a coal company in Qinyuan, Shanxi, suffered a dust explosion incident, leaving at least 12 workers with burn injuries.
On the evening of July 17th, a fire broke out at the Jiuding Department Store in Zigong City, Sichuan. The fire claimed the lives of 16 people, with at least 39 others hospitalized, including 3 in critical condition.
Due to the Chinese Communist Party’s tendency to conceal the extent of disasters, the actual situation may be more severe than the official figures suggest.