An explosion and fire occurred successively at buildings in Jiangsu Province during the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) key annual meetings, known as the “Two Sessions.”
The explosion occurred in the Zhangjiagang municipal building in Jiangsu Province on March 7. Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department building, according to reports, photos, and video footage posted on social media.
The images show the scene of the explosion: A large amount of white smoke was emanating from the foyer of the Zhangjiagang municipal building. The glass and door frame in the building’s foyer had been severely damaged by the explosion. Outside the foyer, a deformed liquefied petroleum gas cylinder was also visible.
Fire at Public Security Building
On the same day, it was revealed on social media platform X that a large fire broke out in the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department building in Nanjing City, with thick smoke rising from the top floor of the building.Outside the gate of the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department, several police cars and fire trucks had arrived at the scene, and bystanders were watching, according to videos posted online.
Accounts on the Chinese social media platform Weibo posted pictures and video footage of the fire, but they were quickly deleted, and topics related to “Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department Fire” were also blocked online by authorities. As of press time, Nanjing officials hadn’t notified the public of any relevant information about the fire.
The CCP’s “Two Sessions” refers to the annual plenary sessions of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC), the two houses of China’s rubber-stamp legislature. The meetings kicked off in Beijing on March 4 and 5, respectively.
On March 3, CCP spokesperson Liu Jieyi announced at a press conference that the CPPCC session would open on March 4 and close on the morning of March 10. The session for the NPC opened on the morning of March 5 and will close on the afternoon of March 11.
The two incidents in one day, during the key CCP meetings, attracted the attention of international media.
U.S.-based current affairs commentator Jiang Feng said in his talk show on NTD, sister media to The Epoch Times, on March 8 that the bombing of the Zhangjiagang municipal building symbolizes the dire situation faced by Chinese private entrepreneurs under CCP rule.
They have been subjected to stringent controls, nationalization of their businesses, and even arrests, with prominent private entrepreneurs such as Ren Zhiqiang and Sun Dawu being notable examples. There is no hope for private businesses in China, he says.
Li Muyang, another U.S.-based current affairs commentator, said in his talk show, “News Insight,” that the explosion at the Zhangjiagang municipal building might be the first shot of the Chinese people’s uprising against the decades-long CCP tyranny.
