China covers up plane crash in Beijing's tallest skyscraper
A small aircraft flew into Beijing's tallest skyscraper. Instead of clarifying the incident, the Chinese authorities imposed a news blackout.
According to a report by the Economist, a small aircraft flew into Beijing's tallest building in the center of the Chinese capital. The accident was followed not by an official investigation but by a news blackout: reports and images were suppressed in the state-controlled media and on social networks. The incident is a textbook example of how the leadership in Beijing handles events that could raise questions about safety or control over the capital's airspace. Independent information on the cause, the number of victims and any intent is not yet available. The sourcing is one-sided: so far there is only the Economist's Western account, and a Chinese counter-account is naturally absent precisely because of the news blackout. Whether this was an accident or a deliberate act therefore remains open.