After Taiwan President Lai Ching-te was inaugurated on May 20, the Chinese military conducted a two-day military exercise around Taiwan on May 23-24. Strangely, on the evening of the 23rd, the sky in Zhoushan, Zhejiang turned blood-red once again. On the 24th, the Zhejiang Maritime Bureau announced that the tugboat “Joint Qirui” sank near the northeast coast of Zhoushan, but the official statement remained silent about the cause of the incident.
The appearance of the blood-red sky in Zhoushan and the sinking of the tugboat on the same days raise questions about whether there is a connection between the two incidents.
Ancient Chinese belief suggests that celestial phenomena reflect events on earth. The “Book of Changes” indicates that “the shape of heaven reveals fortune and misfortune,” suggesting a correlation between celestial signs and earthly events.
According to the star divination book “Yisi Divination” written by the Tang Dynasty Taoist Li Chunfeng, the appearance of red vapor in the sky indicates an impending significant event. Red vapor symbolizes bloodshed and calamity, possibly foreshadowing wars, famines, unjust imprisonment, political upheavals, and even bloodshed involving soldiers, hinting at the vulnerability of the ruling power and national destiny.
The sinking of the “Joint Qirui” tugboat is likely not an isolated incident. What’s more peculiar is the lack of details provided by the authorities regarding the rescue operation, casualties, or the possible causes of the shipwreck, further fueling suspicions and conspiracy theories among netizens.
Internet users have raised various theories, speculating that the sinking of the tugboat may have been caused by external forces such as missiles or submarines. Due to the lack of official announcements or reports of live ammunition being fired during the military exercises by both the Chinese and Taiwanese military, the possibility of a missile strike can be ruled out, leading to a higher likelihood of a submarine collision.
Historical incidents of naval accidents involving submarines colliding with civilian ships have been recorded in Japan and the United States, adding to the plausibility of such occurrences. However, due to China’s secretive nature, information regarding similar incidents involving Chinese submarines remains scarce.
Considering the cryptic response from Chinese authorities and the historical precedence of submarine accidents, it is highly probable that the sinking of the “Joint Qirui” tugboat was the result of a collision with a Chinese submarine. The lack of transparency surrounding the incident further supports this speculation.
Various unverified messages circulating online further assert that in addition to the tugboat, a submarine and a large vessel were also lost during the military exercise, leading to catastrophic loss of life. These claims, if true, paint a grim picture of the events that transpired during the exercise.
As speculations continue to circulate online about the circumstances surrounding the collision between the submarine and the tugboat, ranging from intentional actions to internal malfunctions, the veil of secrecy maintained by the Chinese authorities fuels further intrigue and suspicions among the public.
In the midst of intense political maneuvering and power struggles within the Chinese military, the possibility of a submarine collision leading to tragic consequences cannot be disregarded, especially in the context of heightened tensions in the region. As uncertainties loom, the implications of such incidents on the stability of the region remain subject to interpretation and analysis.