According to an US report, the black box for the China Eastern Airlines plane, that crashed in March killing 132 people aboard, suggests that someone in the cockpit of the Boeing plane took an intentional nosedive.

Report: China plane crash that killed 132 was intentional

The week began with a devastating news, China witnessed one of its worst air disasters in nearly three decades. A Chinese Eastern Boeing 737-800 with&nbsp;more than 130 people on board crashed in a mountainous area. Many major&nbsp;Chinese cities and provinces continue to battle surge in Covid cases.

Overseas, too, China has been engaged in diplomacy. This week, from NATO accusing Beijing of politically helping Moscow, to Chinese FM Wang Yi’s tour of South Asia, we look at the big stories from China.

China Eastern Airlines plane crash

On Monday, condolences poured from around the globe, when a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 123 passengers and 9 crew onboard,&nbsp; crashed&nbsp;in&nbsp;mountains&nbsp;in&nbsp;Southern&nbsp;China.&nbsp;Flight MU5735&nbsp;was flying&nbsp;to&nbsp;Guangzhou from Kunming when&nbsp;it&nbsp;lost contact&nbsp;above the city of&nbsp;Wuzhou,&nbsp;around 210 km&nbsp;from the destination.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chinese&nbsp;President Xi Jinping said he was “shocked”&nbsp;and ordered for&nbsp;an immediate&nbsp;investigation&nbsp;into the matter. The&nbsp;plane&nbsp;nosedived from&nbsp;an&nbsp;altitude of 29,100 feet&nbsp;to&nbsp;9,075 feet&nbsp;in&nbsp;two minutes&nbsp;and 15 seconds, reported state media&nbsp;CGTN.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;airlines expressed “its deep condolences for the passengers&nbsp;and crew members who died&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;crash.”&nbsp;

According&nbsp;to Zhu Tao,&nbsp;an official&nbsp;with&nbsp;China’s Civil&nbsp;Aviation&nbsp;Administration, “Air traffic controllers tried multiple times&nbsp;to&nbsp;reach pilots of doomed&nbsp;China&nbsp;Eastern Flight 5735&nbsp;after&nbsp;it&nbsp;began&nbsp;its deadly dive on Monday but received no response.” reported&nbsp;Bloomberg.&nbsp;

Both the black boxes have been found&nbsp;and sent for examination. On Friday, state broadcaster CCTV confirmed that&nbsp;all 132 on board were dead.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While there&nbsp;are many theories&nbsp;about the cause of the&nbsp;crash, Chinese&nbsp;newspaper&nbsp;the&nbsp;China&nbsp;Daily&nbsp;busted many&nbsp;rumours&nbsp;and urged people not&nbsp;to&nbsp;believe easily.&nbsp;

China&nbsp;in&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict&nbsp;

On Wednesday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg accused China of politically backing Russia&nbsp;as&nbsp;it&nbsp;continues&nbsp;to&nbsp;attack Ukraine.&nbsp;And warned Beijing&nbsp;against providing&nbsp;any material support.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“China&nbsp;has provided Russia&nbsp;with&nbsp;political support,&nbsp;including by spreading blatant lies&nbsp;and misinformation,&nbsp;and&nbsp;allies&nbsp;are concerned that&nbsp;China&nbsp;could provide material support for the Russia&nbsp;invasion,” he said,&nbsp;ahead of&nbsp;an urgent NATO summit on Thursday.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stoltenberg further&nbsp;said that he expected&nbsp;that&nbsp;world leaders&nbsp;will “call on&nbsp;China&nbsp;to&nbsp;live up&nbsp;to&nbsp;its&nbsp;responsibilities&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;member of the UN Security Council”&nbsp;and&nbsp;China&nbsp;must&nbsp;“refrain from supporting Russia”,&nbsp;instead&nbsp;it&nbsp;should “join the rest of the world&nbsp;in&nbsp;calling for&nbsp;an immediate, peaceful end&nbsp;to&nbsp;this war.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

China&nbsp;fired back&nbsp;and&nbsp;called the claims “disinformation”.&nbsp;China&nbsp;also called out US’ ‘smear’ campaign&nbsp;as&nbsp;Washington&nbsp;accused Beijing of having prior knowledge of Russia’s&nbsp;invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, at the UN Security Council (UNSC),&nbsp;China&nbsp;voted&nbsp;in&nbsp;favour&nbsp;of the Russian Resolution, stating UNSC should play&nbsp;its role&nbsp;in&nbsp;the humanitarian crisis&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We&nbsp;advocate that the Security Council should fulfil&nbsp;its primary responsibility for the maintenance of&nbsp;international peace&nbsp;and security,&nbsp;and play&nbsp;its due role&nbsp;in&nbsp;the humanitarian issue of Ukraine,” said&nbsp;Zhang Jun, the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of&nbsp;China&nbsp;to&nbsp;the United Nations.&nbsp;

He further went on&nbsp;to&nbsp;present Beijing’s six-point&nbsp;initiative&nbsp;and clarified&nbsp;to&nbsp;the UNSC members that the vote&nbsp;in&nbsp;favour was a “call&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;international community&nbsp;to&nbsp;prioritise the humanitarian situation&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine,”&nbsp;and “protect the safety of civilians, especially women, children&nbsp;and other vulnerable groups,&nbsp;and&nbsp;to&nbsp;facilitate the personnel evacuation&nbsp;and humanitarian relief operations.”&nbsp;

Wang Yi’s&nbsp;tour of South&nbsp;Asia&nbsp;&nbsp;

This week,&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;Foreign Minister&nbsp;and State&nbsp;Councilor Wang Yi embarked on&nbsp;a&nbsp;tour of South&nbsp;Asia. His&nbsp;itinerary&nbsp;included Pakistan,&nbsp;Afghanistan,&nbsp;India,&nbsp;and Nepal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Wang Yi&nbsp;attended the gathering of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)&nbsp;in&nbsp;Islamabad,&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;special guest.&nbsp;In&nbsp;his speech, he reiterated&nbsp;China’s stand of support for Russia&nbsp;and Ukraine peace talks&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;ceasefire.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We need&nbsp;to&nbsp;prevent humanitarian disasters&nbsp;and prevent the spillover of the Ukrainian crisis from&nbsp;affecting or harming the legitimate rights&nbsp;and&nbsp;interests of other regions&nbsp;and countries,” he said.&nbsp;

Wang Yi&nbsp;also said that Beijing’s close ties&nbsp;with&nbsp;the Muslim world&nbsp;are based on respect&nbsp;and mutual cooperation,&nbsp;and&nbsp;China&nbsp;has been&nbsp;investing over $400 billion&nbsp;in&nbsp;nearly 600 projects&nbsp;across 54 Muslim countries under the Belt&nbsp;and Road&nbsp;Initiative.&nbsp;

In&nbsp;Pakistan, Wang&nbsp;also met&nbsp;with&nbsp;Prime Minister Imran Khan&nbsp;and discussed plans&nbsp;to&nbsp;extend the&nbsp;China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&nbsp;to&nbsp;Afghanistan.&nbsp;And&nbsp;criticised&nbsp;the West’s handling of&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;with&nbsp;Pakistan’s&nbsp;Chief of&nbsp;Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa.&nbsp;

Next,&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;FM Wang Yi travelled&nbsp;to&nbsp;Kabul, where he held talks&nbsp;with&nbsp;Taliban Foreign Minister&nbsp;Amir Khan Muttaqi. He focused on “political, economic&nbsp;and transit issues”,&nbsp;including education, trade, mining sector&nbsp;as&nbsp;well&nbsp;as&nbsp;BRI projects&nbsp;in&nbsp;Afghanistan. Later this month,&nbsp;China&nbsp;plans&nbsp;to&nbsp;host&nbsp;a&nbsp;meeting of&nbsp;Afghanistan’s&nbsp;neighbours.&nbsp;

On Thursday,&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;MFA spokesperson Wang Wenbin said,&nbsp;“As&nbsp;Afghanistan's&nbsp;neighbour,&nbsp;China&nbsp;stands ready&nbsp;to&nbsp;leverage&nbsp;its strength&nbsp;and contribute&nbsp;to&nbsp;the country’s lasting stability&nbsp;and security.&nbsp;With&nbsp;regard&nbsp;to&nbsp;your question&nbsp;about the specifics, we will release&nbsp;information&nbsp;in&nbsp;due course.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Friday, Wang Yi reached Nepal for&nbsp;a&nbsp;three-day visit.&nbsp;According&nbsp;to&nbsp;reports, the visit is&nbsp;a&nbsp;chance for the two countries&nbsp;to&nbsp;make&nbsp;amends. The visit&nbsp;comes&nbsp;in&nbsp;the backdrop of Kathmandu ratifying the&nbsp;Millennium Challenge Corporation compact,&nbsp;a&nbsp;setback for Beijing.&nbsp;The USD 500 million grant is&nbsp;a&nbsp;part of developmental&nbsp;assistance from Washington&nbsp;to&nbsp;the Himalayan nation.&nbsp;

The visit is&nbsp;also&nbsp;an&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;for&nbsp;China&nbsp;to&nbsp;bring on track the development of projects under BRI&nbsp;in&nbsp;Nepal. The two nations have signed nine deals, however none on BRI.&nbsp;

Before reaching Nepal, the&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;official made&nbsp;a&nbsp;surprise stopover&nbsp;in&nbsp;India. Thursday night, he reached the capital city of New Delhi.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wang Yi’s visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;India&nbsp;and OIC controversy&nbsp;

On Friday, Wang Yi met&nbsp;with&nbsp;India’s&nbsp;National Security&nbsp;Advisor&nbsp;Ajit Doval&nbsp;and&nbsp;External&nbsp;Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The officials of the two nations discussed the way forward&nbsp;to&nbsp;resolve the two-year-old military stand-off&nbsp;at the Line of&nbsp;Actual Control.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The two countries stayed completely silent on the high-level visit,&nbsp;a&nbsp;first between the two sides since the standoff&nbsp;in&nbsp;2020.&nbsp;According&nbsp;to&nbsp;reports, they were waiting for each other&nbsp;to&nbsp;make the&nbsp;announcement, but&nbsp;India shelved the idea&nbsp;after Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s statement&nbsp;at the OIC meet on Tuesday.&nbsp;

At the OIC meet, Wang Yi made&nbsp;a&nbsp;reference&nbsp;to&nbsp;the Union Territory of Jammu&nbsp;and Kashmir. He said, “On Kashmir, we have heard&nbsp;again&nbsp;today the calls of many of our Islamic friends.&nbsp;And&nbsp;China&nbsp;shares the same hope.” While the statement was open ended,&nbsp;it&nbsp;‘effectively offered support&nbsp;to&nbsp;all that was spoken on Jammu&nbsp;and Kashmir by the OIC foreign ministers,’ said the&nbsp;Hindustan Times.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Indian government fired back&nbsp;and reminded Wang Yi that&nbsp;as&nbsp;India doesn’t make&nbsp;any “public judgment” regarding&nbsp;internal matters of&nbsp;China,&nbsp;it&nbsp;shouldn’t either.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We reject the uncalled reference&nbsp;to&nbsp;India by the&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;foreign minister Wang Yi during his speech&nbsp;at the opening ceremony,” said&nbsp;Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of&nbsp;India’s External&nbsp;Affairs Ministry.&nbsp;

“Matters related&nbsp;to&nbsp;the Union Territory of Jammu &amp; Kashmir&nbsp;are entirely the&nbsp;internal&nbsp;affairs of&nbsp;India. Other countries,&nbsp;including&nbsp;China, have no locus standi&nbsp;to&nbsp;comment. They should note that&nbsp;India refrains from public judgement of their&nbsp;internal issues,” he&nbsp;added.&nbsp;

Despite the ‘unannounced’&nbsp;arrival, the visit&nbsp;took place rather smoothly. Wang Yi proposed&nbsp;a&nbsp;three-point&nbsp;approach. First, he stressed on&nbsp;China&nbsp;and&nbsp;India’s long history,&nbsp;and urged the two sides&nbsp;to&nbsp;view ‘bilateral relations&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;long-term vision’ He&nbsp;added, "China&nbsp;and&nbsp;India do not pose&nbsp;a&nbsp;threat&nbsp;to&nbsp;each other, but provide opportunities for each other's development",&nbsp;according&nbsp;to&nbsp;the MFA press release.&nbsp;

Next, he urged that the two nations “should view each other's development&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;win-win mindset,”&nbsp;and lastly, they must “participate&nbsp;in&nbsp;multilateral processes&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;cooperative&nbsp;attitude.”&nbsp;

China-Sri Lanka&nbsp;

The island nation of Sri Lanka is reeling under one of&nbsp;its worst financial&nbsp;meltdowns. Despite huge foreign&nbsp;investment from&nbsp;China,&nbsp;its forex is depleting. This week, Colombo has sought&nbsp;a&nbsp;fresh loan&nbsp;and buyer’s credit from Beijing for USD 2.5 billion.&nbsp;And&nbsp;China&nbsp;is considering the&nbsp;request.&nbsp;

China&nbsp;has been&nbsp;accused of debt-trapping countries on multiple occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Qi&nbsp;Zhenhong,&nbsp;Ambassador of the People's Republic of&nbsp;China&nbsp;to&nbsp;Sri Lanka, clarified that Beijing’s&nbsp;assistance is being extended on “competitive terms”,&nbsp;adding that&nbsp;China&nbsp;would “never take&nbsp;advantage of Sri Lanka” while helping&nbsp;a&nbsp;country&nbsp;in&nbsp;need, said&nbsp;The Hindu.&nbsp;

Continuous rise&nbsp;in&nbsp;COVID-19 cases&nbsp;

China&nbsp;continues&nbsp;to&nbsp;battle one of&nbsp;its worst&nbsp;outbreaks&nbsp;of COVID-19, primarily driven by the highly&nbsp;infectious Omicron variant. On Friday,&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;health officials called the situation “severe&nbsp;and complex”.&nbsp;

Since March 1, the&nbsp;China&nbsp;mainland has recorded more than 56,000 Covid-19 cases,&nbsp;according&nbsp;to&nbsp;national health officials. While Hong Kong has recorded more than&nbsp;a&nbsp;million.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This week, the city of Shanghai, particularly saw&nbsp;a&nbsp;sharp rise&nbsp;in&nbsp;cases,&nbsp;with&nbsp;as&nbsp;many&nbsp;as&nbsp;2000 new&nbsp;asymptomatic cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The city came under strain&nbsp;as&nbsp;cases rose, but the&nbsp;authorities had no plans&nbsp;to&nbsp;impose&nbsp;any&nbsp;immediate lockdown due&nbsp;to&nbsp;its ‘important role&nbsp;in&nbsp;the national&nbsp;and global economy, making decisions on lockdown won't be easy.’&nbsp;

"Shanghai is&nbsp;a&nbsp;city that not only covers the Shanghai people themselves, but&nbsp;also plays&nbsp;an important role&nbsp;in&nbsp;the national economic&nbsp;and social development,&nbsp;and even has&nbsp;an impact on the global economy," said&nbsp;CGTN&nbsp;quoting Wu Fan,&nbsp;a&nbsp;medical expert.&nbsp;

On March 28, however,&nbsp;at 5 am, the&nbsp;authorities locked down the city of 25 million.&nbsp;According&nbsp;to&nbsp;reports, the city will lockdown&nbsp;in&nbsp;two phases&nbsp;to&nbsp;conduct mass testing. Currently, the&nbsp;areas east of the Huangpu River&nbsp;are under lockdown,&nbsp;and&nbsp;after four days, the other half of the city,&nbsp;in&nbsp;the west, will be under lockdown for four days.

Other cities&nbsp;too,&nbsp;continue&nbsp;to&nbsp;follow&nbsp;a&nbsp;strict ‘zero-Covid ‘policy, more than 20 cities&nbsp;and provinces have imposed travel bans&nbsp;and lockdowns since this wave began.&nbsp;This policy&nbsp;has been facing&nbsp;backlash. Students&nbsp;at Sichuan University&nbsp;in&nbsp;the Chengdu, capital of southwestern&nbsp;China's Sichuan province, said ‘they were effectively banned from leaving the campus&nbsp;almost two weeks&nbsp;after the city lifted restrictions,’ reported the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Morning Post.&nbsp;

(The&nbsp;author is&nbsp;an&nbsp;Assistant Researcher&nbsp;at WION TV)

The week began with a devastating news, China witnessed one of its worst air disasters in nearly three decades. A Chinese Eastern Boeing 737-800 with more than 130 people on board crashed in a mountainous area.

The week began with a devastating news, China witnessed one of its worst air disasters in nearly three decades. A Chinese Eastern Boeing 737-800 with more than 130 people on board crashed in a mountainous area. Many major Chinese cities and provinces continue to battle surge in Covid cases. Overseas, too, China has been engaged in diplomacy. This week, from NATO accusing Beijing of politically helping Moscow, to Chinese FM Wang Yi’s tour of South Asia, we look at the big stories from China. China Eastern Airlines plane crash On Monday, condolences poured from around the globe, when a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 123 passengers and 9 crew onboard, crashed in mountains in Southern China. Flight MU5735 was flying to Guangzhou from Kunming when it lost contact above the city of Wuzhou, around 210 km from the destination. Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was “shocked” and ordered for an immediate investigation into the matter. The plane nosedived from an altitude of 29,100 feet to 9,075 feet in two minutes and 15 seconds, reported state media CGTN. The airlines expressed “its deep condolences for the passengers and crew members who died in the plane crash.” According to Zhu Tao, an official with China’s Civil Aviation Administration, “Air traffic controllers tried multiple times to reach pilots of doomed China Eastern Flight 5735 after it began its deadly dive on Monday but received no response.” reported Bloomberg. Both the black boxes have been found and sent for examination. On Friday, state broadcaster CCTV confirmed that all 132 on board were dead. While there are many theories about the cause of the crash, Chinese newspaper the China Daily busted many rumours and urged people not to believe easily. China in Russia-Ukraine conflict On Wednesday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg accused China of politically backing Russia as it continues to attack Ukraine. And warned Beijing against providing any material support. “China has provided Russia with political support, including by spreading blatant lies and misinformation, and allies are concerned that China could provide material support for the Russia invasion,” he said, ahead of an urgent NATO summit on Thursday. Stoltenberg further said that he expected that world leaders will “call on China to live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council” and China must “refrain from supporting Russia”, instead it should “join the rest of the world in calling for an immediate, peaceful end to this war.” China fired back and called the claims “disinformation”. China also called out US’ ‘smear’ campaign as Washington accused Beijing of having prior knowledge of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, at the UN Security Council (UNSC), China voted in favour of the Russian Resolution, stating UNSC should play its role in the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. “We advocate that the Security Council should fulfil its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and play its due role in the humanitarian issue of Ukraine,” said Zhang Jun, the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations. He further went on to present Beijing’s six-point initiative and clarified to the UNSC members that the vote in favour was a “call to the international community to prioritise the humanitarian situation in Ukraine,” and “protect the safety of civilians, especially women, children and other vulnerable groups, and to facilitate the personnel evacuation and humanitarian relief operations.” Wang Yi’s tour of South Asia This week, Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi embarked on a tour of South Asia. His itinerary included Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nepal. On Tuesday, Wang Yi attended the gathering of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad, as a special guest. In his speech, he reiterated China’s stand of support for Russia and Ukraine peace talks and a ceasefire. “We need to prevent humanitarian disasters and prevent the spillover of the Ukrainian crisis from affecting or harming the legitimate rights and interests of other regions and countries,” he said. Wang Yi also said that Beijing’s close ties with the Muslim world are based on respect and mutual cooperation, and China has been investing over $400 billion in nearly 600 projects across 54 Muslim countries under the Belt and Road Initiative. In Pakistan, Wang also met with Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed plans to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan. And criticised the West’s handling of Afghanistan with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa. Next, Chinese FM Wang Yi travelled to Kabul, where he held talks with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. He focused on “political, economic and transit issues”, including education, trade, mining sector as well as BRI projects in Afghanistan. Later this month, China plans to host a meeting of Afghanistan’s neighbours. On Thursday, Chinese MFA spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “As Afghanistan's neighbour, China stands ready to leverage its strength and contribute to the country’s lasting stability and security. With regard to your question about the specifics, we will release information in due course.” On Friday, Wang Yi reached Nepal for a three-day visit. According to reports, the visit is a chance for the two countries to make amends. The visit comes in the backdrop of Kathmandu ratifying the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, a setback for Beijing. The USD 500 million grant is a part of developmental assistance from Washington to the Himalayan nation. The visit is also an opportunity for China to bring on track the development of projects under BRI in Nepal. The two nations have signed nine deals, however none on BRI. Before reaching Nepal, the Chinese official made a surprise stopover in India. Thursday night, he reached the capital city of New Delhi. Wang Yi’s visit to India and OIC controversy On Friday, Wang Yi met with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The officials of the two nations discussed the way forward to resolve the two-year-old military stand-off at the Line of Actual Control. The two countries stayed completely silent on the high-level visit, a first between the two sides since the standoff in 2020. According to reports, they were waiting for each other to make the announcement, but India shelved the idea after Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s statement at the OIC meet on Tuesday. At the OIC meet, Wang Yi made a reference to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope.” While the statement was open ended, it ‘effectively offered support to all that was spoken on Jammu and Kashmir by the OIC foreign ministers,’ said the Hindustan Times. The Indian government fired back and reminded Wang Yi that as India doesn’t make any “public judgment” regarding internal matters of China, it shouldn’t either. “We reject the uncalled reference to India by the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi during his speech at the opening ceremony,” said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of India’s External Affairs Ministry. “Matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India. Other countries, including China, have no locus standi to comment. They should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues,” he added. Despite the ‘unannounced’ arrival, the visit took place rather smoothly. Wang Yi proposed a three-point approach. First, he stressed on China and India’s long history, and urged the two sides to view ‘bilateral relations with a long-term vision’ He added, "China and India do not pose a threat to each other, but provide opportunities for each other's development", according to the MFA press release. Next, he urged that the two nations “should view each other's development with a win-win mindset,” and lastly, they must “participate in multilateral processes with a cooperative attitude.” China-Sri Lanka The island nation of Sri Lanka is reeling under one of its worst financial meltdowns. Despite huge foreign investment from China, its forex is depleting. This week, Colombo has sought a fresh loan and buyer’s credit from Beijing for USD 2.5 billion. And China is considering the request. China has been accused of debt-trapping countries on multiple occasions. Qi Zhenhong, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Sri Lanka, clarified that Beijing’s assistance is being extended on “competitive terms”, adding that China would “never take advantage of Sri Lanka” while helping a country in need, said The Hindu. Continuous rise in COVID-19 cases China continues to battle one of its worst outbreaks of COVID-19, primarily driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant. On Friday, Chinese health officials called the situation “severe and complex”. Since March 1, the China mainland has recorded more than 56,000 Covid-19 cases, according to national health officials. While Hong Kong has recorded more than a million. This week, the city of Shanghai, particularly saw a sharp rise in cases, with as many as 2000 new asymptomatic cases. The city came under strain as cases rose, but the authorities had no plans to impose any immediate lockdown due to its ‘important role in the national and global economy, making decisions on lockdown won't be easy.’ "Shanghai is a city that not only covers the Shanghai people themselves, but also plays an important role in the national economic and social development, and even has an impact on the global economy," said CGTN quoting Wu Fan, a medical expert. On March 28, however, at 5 am, the authorities locked down the city of 25 million. According to reports, the city will lockdown in two phases to conduct mass testing. Currently, the areas east of the Huangpu River are under lockdown, and after four days, the other half of the city, in the west, will be under lockdown for four days. Other cities too, continue to follow a strict ‘zero-Covid ‘policy, more than 20 cities and provinces have imposed travel bans and lockdowns since this wave began. This policy has been facing backlash. Students at Sichuan University in the Chengdu, capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, said ‘they were effectively banned from leaving the campus almost two weeks after the city lifted restrictions,’ reported the South China Morning Post. (The author is an Assistant Researcher at WION TV)

Chinese vignettes | Woes continue in  China as it comes to reality with a fatal plane crash

Chinese authorities have successfully recovered the second black box from the China Eastern Airlines crash. All eyes are on the crucial information these black boxes contain. The question arises: how will they be handled? Here are ten things you need to know about the black box! #chinacrash #aviation #aircrash

Ten things you need to know about the Black Box

The second black box, believed to be the flight data recorder of the crashed Chinese passenger plane was found by the search team, official media here reported on Sunday.

"The second black box from China Eastern flight MU5735 was recovered on March 27," Xinhua news agency reported.&nbsp;

The jet was flying between Kunming and Guangzhou on Monday when it crashed into a mountainside with 132 people on board, all of whom were killed.

The China Eastern Airlines flight on board 132 people crashed on Monday afternoon, after plunging from more than 6,000m (20,000ft).

Watch |&nbsp;Crashed Chinese plane's black box found

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/crashed-chinese-planes-black-box-found-464897/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have confirmed that no one survived the accident of a China Eastern 737-800 with 132 people on board earlier this week.

A brief moment of quiet followed the revelation by a Chinese Civil Aviation Administration official at a late-night news briefing on Saturday.

According to official media, investigators have identified 120 of the victims through DNA analysis.&nbsp;
</div>

(With inputs from agencies)

The second black box, believed to be the flight data recorder of the crashed Chinese passenger plane was found by the search team, official media here reported on Sunday.

The second black box, believed to be the flight data recorder of the crashed Chinese passenger plane was found by the search team, official media here reported on Sunday. "The second black box from China Eastern flight MU5735 was recovered on March 27," Xinhua news agency reported. The jet was flying between Kunming and Guangzhou on Monday when it crashed into a mountainside with 132 people on board, all of whom were killed. The China Eastern Airlines flight on board 132 people crashed on Monday afternoon, after plunging from more than 6,000m (20,000ft). Watch | Crashed Chinese plane's black box found Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have confirmed that no one survived the accident of a China Eastern 737-800 with 132 people on board earlier this week. A brief moment of quiet followed the revelation by a Chinese Civil Aviation Administration official at a late-night news briefing on Saturday. According to official media, investigators have identified 120 of the victims through DNA analysis. (With inputs from agencies)

Second black box of crashed Chinese plane carrying 132 people recovered

How black boxes of crashed Chinese jet will be handled?

All 132 people aboard the plane that crashed into a mountainside in southern China&nbsp;are confirmed dead, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

"All 123 passengers and nine crew members of flight MU5735 of China Eastern airlines have been killed on board on March 21," CCTV said, citing the deputy director-general of the civil aviation administration, Hu Zhenjiang.

Chinese emergency workers have found an emergency location transmitter from the plane that had been close to where the second black box, the flight data recorder, had been installed, Zhu Tao, director of the Aviation Safety Office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, told reporters.

The team is also seeking the data module from the flight data recorder itself.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-moment-chinese-boeing-nosedived-464424/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The other black box, the cockpit voice recorder, was found on Wednesday and has been sent to Beijing for examination by experts.

Flight MU5735 was travelling from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou on the coast on Monday when the Boeing 737-800 plummeted from cruising altitude to crash in a heavily forested area of Guangxi region.

According to data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.com, the flight was traveling 455 knots (523 mph, 842 kph) at around 29,000 feet when it entered a steep and fast dive around 2:20 p.m. local time. The plane plunged to 7,400 feet before briefly regaining about 1,200 feel in altitude, then dove again. The plane stopped transmitting data 96 seconds after starting to fall.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rescue-team-find-human-remains-at-the-chinese-plane-crash-site-465135">Also read |&nbsp;Rescue teams find human remains at the Chinese plane crash site</a>

Local villagers were first to arrive at the forested area where the plane went down and sparked a blaze big enough to be seen on NASA satellite images. Hundreds of rescue workers were swiftly dispatched from Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong province.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an “all-out effort” by the rescue operation, as well as for an investigation into the crash and to ensure complete civil aviation safety.

The last fatal crash of a Chinese airliner occurred in August 2010, when an Embraer ERJ 190-100 operated by Henan Airlines hit the ground short of the runway in the northeastern city of Yichun and caught fire. It carried 96 people and 44 of them died. Investigators blamed pilot error.

Chicago-based Boeing Co. said it was in contact with the US safety board “and our technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

All 132 people aboard the plane that crashed into a mountainside in southern China are confirmed dead, state broadcaster CCTV reported. "All 123 passengers and nine crew members of flight MU5735 of China Eastern airlines have been killed on board on March 21," CCTV said, citing the deputy director-general of the civil aviation administration, Hu Zhenjiang.

All 132 people aboard the plane that crashed into a mountainside in southern China are confirmed dead, state broadcaster CCTV reported. "All 123 passengers and nine crew members of flight MU5735 of China Eastern airlines have been killed on board on March 21," CCTV said, citing the deputy director-general of the civil aviation administration, Hu Zhenjiang. Chinese emergency workers have found an emergency location transmitter from the plane that had been close to where the second black box, the flight data recorder, had been installed, Zhu Tao, director of the Aviation Safety Office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, told reporters. The team is also seeking the data module from the flight data recorder itself. The other black box, the cockpit voice recorder, was found on Wednesday and has been sent to Beijing for examination by experts. Flight MU5735 was travelling from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou on the coast on Monday when the Boeing 737-800 plummeted from cruising altitude to crash in a heavily forested area of Guangxi region. According to data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.com, the flight was traveling 455 knots (523 mph, 842 kph) at around 29,000 feet when it entered a steep and fast dive around 2:20 p.m. local time. The plane plunged to 7,400 feet before briefly regaining about 1,200 feel in altitude, then dove again. The plane stopped transmitting data 96 seconds after starting to fall. Also read | Rescue teams find human remains at the Chinese plane crash site Local villagers were first to arrive at the forested area where the plane went down and sparked a blaze big enough to be seen on NASA satellite images. Hundreds of rescue workers were swiftly dispatched from Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong province. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an “all-out effort” by the rescue operation, as well as for an investigation into the crash and to ensure complete civil aviation safety. The last fatal crash of a Chinese airliner occurred in August 2010, when an Embraer ERJ 190-100 operated by Henan Airlines hit the ground short of the runway in the northeastern city of Yichun and caught fire. It carried 96 people and 44 of them died. Investigators blamed pilot error. Chicago-based Boeing Co. said it was in contact with the US safety board “and our technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.” (With inputs from agencies)

China's civil aviation authority confirms death of all 132 people aboard flight MU5735

As recovery crews sifted through the mud at the China Eastern Airlines&nbsp;crash&nbsp;site, dozens of relatives of those on board flight MU5735 remained nearby in an anxious wait for further news.

One was Qin Haitao who comes from neighbouring Hunan province.

Qin's daughter, Shujun, was a passenger on the flight on Monday that had been en-route from the southwestern inland city of Kunming to the southeastern coastal city of Guangzhou, when it plummeted to the ground in a rural part of the Guangxi region, leaving no known survivors.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-renews-search-for-second-black-box-from-crashed-passenger-plane-465295">China renews search for second black box from crashed passenger plane</a>

Guangzhou-based migrant worker Shujun, 40, had travelled to Kunming to accompany her mother to see a specialist doctor she had heard was very good.

"We couldn't believe it and didn't dare say anything, for fear that my wife would not be able to bear it," Qin said, when describing the moment he heard the news of the&nbsp;crash&nbsp;on Monday.

"Our eyes were full of tears but we dared not weep. In fact, we knew the truth, but we kept it from her for a night, for half a day plus one night."

Qin said he initially received no official confirmation about his daughter's situation. But on Monday night his brother-in-law rushed to Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport, where the flight was scheduled to arrive. There, he was shown a list of the passengers' names, which included Shujun's.

On Tuesday, Qin, his son and two others drove to Wuzhou and the next day visited the&nbsp;crash&nbsp;site accompanied by staff and volunteers from China Eastern.

"It's so painful," he said in a broken voice, holding back tears. "We&nbsp;have&nbsp;nothing&nbsp;but grief now…We are living in grief every day."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rescue-team-find-human-remains-at-the-chinese-plane-crash-site-465135">Rescue teams find human remains at the Chinese plane crash site</a>

By 10am on Friday, 375 family members of the 132 people on board flight MU5735 had visited the&nbsp;crash&nbsp;site, officials said.

Rescue workers&nbsp;have&nbsp;reported finding human remains, pieces of personal belongings of the passengers and debris from the&nbsp;plane.

"Many family members were burning incense," Qin said, about the visit to the&nbsp;crash&nbsp;site.

"I prayed and put my daughter's name there. It happened to be her birthday that same day...so I said: 'Dad came to see you, my child. Happy birthday.'"

After that visit to the site, Qin has largely stayed at his hotel with his son, Shujun's elder brother and only sibling.

Shujun herself leaves behind a teenage daughter.

"We don't&nbsp;have&nbsp;any requests now," Qin said.

"Our only request is to find my daughter's body as soon as possible and bring her home."

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: The moment Chinese Boeing nosedived

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-moment-chinese-boeing-nosedived-464424/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As recovery crews sifted through the mud at the China Eastern Airlines crash site, dozens of relatives of those on board flight MU5735 remained nearby in an anxious wait for further news.

As recovery crews sifted through the mud at the China Eastern Airlines crash site, dozens of relatives of those on board flight MU5735 remained nearby in an anxious wait for further news. One was Qin Haitao who comes from neighbouring Hunan province. Qin's daughter, Shujun, was a passenger on the flight on Monday that had been en-route from the southwestern inland city of Kunming to the southeastern coastal city of Guangzhou, when it plummeted to the ground in a rural part of the Guangxi region, leaving no known survivors. Also read | China renews search for second black box from crashed passenger plane Guangzhou-based migrant worker Shujun, 40, had travelled to Kunming to accompany her mother to see a specialist doctor she had heard was very good. "We couldn't believe it and didn't dare say anything, for fear that my wife would not be able to bear it," Qin said, when describing the moment he heard the news of the crash on Monday. "Our eyes were full of tears but we dared not weep. In fact, we knew the truth, but we kept it from her for a night, for half a day plus one night." Qin said he initially received no official confirmation about his daughter's situation. But on Monday night his brother-in-law rushed to Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport, where the flight was scheduled to arrive. There, he was shown a list of the passengers' names, which included Shujun's. On Tuesday, Qin, his son and two others drove to Wuzhou and the next day visited the crash site accompanied by staff and volunteers from China Eastern. "It's so painful," he said in a broken voice, holding back tears. "We have nothing but grief now…We are living in grief every day." Also read | Rescue teams find human remains at the Chinese plane crash site By 10am on Friday, 375 family members of the 132 people on board flight MU5735 had visited the crash site, officials said. Rescue workers have reported finding human remains, pieces of personal belongings of the passengers and debris from the plane. "Many family members were burning incense," Qin said, about the visit to the crash site. "I prayed and put my daughter's name there. It happened to be her birthday that same day...so I said: 'Dad came to see you, my child. Happy birthday.'" After that visit to the site, Qin has largely stayed at his hotel with his son, Shujun's elder brother and only sibling. Shujun herself leaves behind a teenage daughter. "We don't have any requests now," Qin said. "Our only request is to find my daughter's body as soon as possible and bring her home." Watch | Gravitas: The moment Chinese Boeing nosedived

'We have nothing but grief' says father of plane crash victim

A day after finding one of the black boxes of the crashed China Eastern jet, the rescue teams have found human remains at the site.

The China Eastern Airlines flight on board 132 people crashed on Monday afternoon, after plunging from more than 6,000m (20,000ft).

The cause of the disaster is yet to be ascertained as officials scramble for clues to find what made the passenger plane enter a near-vertical dive in southern China.

The black box, which records flight data, was found damaged on the outside, but its internal records appeared to be fine, aviation officials said. A second black box has not yet been found.

Zhu Tao, an official at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said the storage units of&nbsp;the recovered recorder were damaged but “relatively complete” and had been sent to a Beijing institute to analyse its data.

The rescue teams found the first black box with great difficulty on Wednesday as heavy rains flooded the steep and rugged landscape of the crash site in Wuzhou.

So far, hundreds of rescuers and volunteers had managed to find the scattered plane debris and the charred remains of personal belongings.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-final-moments-of-china-plane-caught-on-camera-just-before-crash-464336">Watch: Final moments of China plane caught on camera just before crash</a>

On Wednesday, dozens of family members of the plane crash victims arrived at the scene.

One man told Reuters his nephew had been a passenger on the flight. He and his son had driven five hours from neighbouring Shenzhen province in the hopes of being able to find their relative alive.

"I plan to stay until the matter is sorted and I can take his ashes back. But this depends on the work of authorities,” he was quoted as saying.

"I hope the country can thoroughly investigate this matter and find out whether it is the manufacturer's fault or a maintenance problem," he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-of-two-black-boxes-of-crashed-china-eastern-passenger-jet-recovered-aviation-official-464853">One of two black boxes of crashed China Eastern passenger jet recovered: Aviation official</a>

Even though no survivors have been found, rescuers said they were not giving up.

"We are still using manpower and equipment for the search and expand the scope of search as much as possible to search for trapped people and survivors. We are trying our best to search for the trapped," said Huang Shangwu, deputy director of the combat training department of the Guangxi Fire and Rescue Brigade.

"Following the instructions of the command headquarters, we the fire rescue team is mainly conducting the task of searching for lives. Therefore we are using thermographic cameras and life detectors to conduct search on the ground and heat search. But because of the rainfall these days, the search signal of our equipment is pretty weak," Huang said.

Watch |&nbsp;Crashed Chinese plane's black box found

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/crashed-chinese-planes-black-box-found-464897/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

A day after finding one of the black boxes of the crashed China Eastern jet, the rescue teams have found human remains at the site. The China Eastern Airlines flight on board 132 people crashed on Monday afternoon, after plunging from more than 6,000m (20,000ft).

A day after finding one of the black boxes of the crashed China Eastern jet, the rescue teams have found human remains at the site. The China Eastern Airlines flight on board 132 people crashed on Monday afternoon, after plunging from more than 6,000m (20,000ft). The cause of the disaster is yet to be ascertained as officials scramble for clues to find what made the passenger plane enter a near-vertical dive in southern China. The black box, which records flight data, was found damaged on the outside, but its internal records appeared to be fine, aviation officials said. A second black box has not yet been found. Zhu Tao, an official at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said the storage units of the recovered recorder were damaged but “relatively complete” and had been sent to a Beijing institute to analyse its data. The rescue teams found the first black box with great difficulty on Wednesday as heavy rains flooded the steep and rugged landscape of the crash site in Wuzhou. So far, hundreds of rescuers and volunteers had managed to find the scattered plane debris and the charred remains of personal belongings. Also read | Watch: Final moments of China plane caught on camera just before crash On Wednesday, dozens of family members of the plane crash victims arrived at the scene. One man told Reuters his nephew had been a passenger on the flight. He and his son had driven five hours from neighbouring Shenzhen province in the hopes of being able to find their relative alive. "I plan to stay until the matter is sorted and I can take his ashes back. But this depends on the work of authorities,” he was quoted as saying. "I hope the country can thoroughly investigate this matter and find out whether it is the manufacturer's fault or a maintenance problem," he added. Also read | One of two black boxes of crashed China Eastern passenger jet recovered: Aviation official Even though no survivors have been found, rescuers said they were not giving up. "We are still using manpower and equipment for the search and expand the scope of search as much as possible to search for trapped people and survivors. We are trying our best to search for the trapped," said Huang Shangwu, deputy director of the combat training department of the Guangxi Fire and Rescue Brigade. "Following the instructions of the command headquarters, we the fire rescue team is mainly conducting the task of searching for lives. Therefore we are using thermographic cameras and life detectors to conduct search on the ground and heat search. But because of the rainfall these days, the search signal of our equipment is pretty weak," Huang said. Watch | Crashed Chinese plane's black box found (With inputs from agencies)

Rescue teams find human remains at the Chinese plane crash site

One of the two “black box” recorders had been found with its casing severely damaged, two days after a China Eastern flight crashed in the country's south with 132 people on board.

Crashed Chinese plane's black box found

A China Eastern passenger jet crashed in Southwest China Yesterday. All 132 passengers are feared dead. Rescue teams combed the hillside but couldn't find any survivors.

No headway in China Eastern plane crash probe in China, US government agency offers assistance

The Indian aviation authority has put the Boeing 737 fleets of Indian carriers on "enhanced surveillance" after a China Eastern Airlines aircraft of the same make crashed on Monday with 132 people on board, its chief Arun Kumar said.

Three Indian carriers — SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express — have Boeing 737 aircraft in their fleets.

When asked what steps the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is taking following Monday's crash, Kumar told PTI, "Flight safety is serious business and we are closely studying the situation. In the interim, we are focusing on enhanced surveillance of our 737 fleet."

A Boeing 737-800 aircraft of China Eastern Airlines, which was on way from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in Tengxian County in the city of Wuzhou.

China Eastern Airlines -- one of China's three major air carriers -- has grounded all of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft after the crash on Monday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-passenger-jet-carrying-133-people-crashes-in-guangxi-state-media-464239" hreflang="en">Chinese passenger jet carrying 133 people crashes in Guangxi, Xi orders probe</a>

There were no foreigners among the 132 people -- 123 passengers and nine crew members -- on board the Chinese passenger plane which crashed, official media reported.

Boeing 737 Max aircraft is an advanced version of Boeing 737-800 and both belong to the 737 series. The US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on the matter.

Two Boeing 737 Max aircraft were involved in accidents in the six month period between October 2018 and March 2019, killing a total of 346 people. Following these two accidents, the DGCA had banned Boeing 737 Max planes in India in March 2019.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-final-moments-of-china-plane-caught-on-camera-just-before-crash-464336">Watch: Final moments of China plane caught on camera just before crash</a>

After Boeing made necessary software rectifications to the satisfaction of the DGCA, the ban on the aircraft's commercial operations was lifted after 27 months in August last year.

SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on the DGCA's decision to put their 737 planes on enhanced surveillance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expressed sadness over the plane crash.

US aviation regulator FAA said it "is aware of reports that a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane crashed this morning in China. The agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked."&nbsp;

The Indian aviation authority has put the Boeing 737 fleets of Indian carriers on "enhanced surveillance" after a China Eastern Airlines aircraft of the same make crashed on Monday with 132 people on board, its chief Arun Kumar said.

The Indian aviation authority has put the Boeing 737 fleets of Indian carriers on "enhanced surveillance" after a China Eastern Airlines aircraft of the same make crashed on Monday with 132 people on board, its chief Arun Kumar said. Three Indian carriers — SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express — have Boeing 737 aircraft in their fleets. When asked what steps the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is taking following Monday's crash, Kumar told PTI, "Flight safety is serious business and we are closely studying the situation. In the interim, we are focusing on enhanced surveillance of our 737 fleet." A Boeing 737-800 aircraft of China Eastern Airlines, which was on way from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in Tengxian County in the city of Wuzhou. China Eastern Airlines -- one of China's three major air carriers -- has grounded all of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft after the crash on Monday. Also read | Chinese passenger jet carrying 133 people crashes in Guangxi, Xi orders probe There were no foreigners among the 132 people -- 123 passengers and nine crew members -- on board the Chinese passenger plane which crashed, official media reported. Boeing 737 Max aircraft is an advanced version of Boeing 737-800 and both belong to the 737 series. The US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on the matter. Two Boeing 737 Max aircraft were involved in accidents in the six month period between October 2018 and March 2019, killing a total of 346 people. Following these two accidents, the DGCA had banned Boeing 737 Max planes in India in March 2019. Also read | Watch: Final moments of China plane caught on camera just before crash After Boeing made necessary software rectifications to the satisfaction of the DGCA, the ban on the aircraft's commercial operations was lifted after 27 months in August last year. SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on the DGCA's decision to put their 737 planes on enhanced surveillance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expressed sadness over the plane crash. US aviation regulator FAA said it "is aware of reports that a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane crashed this morning in China. The agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked."

India puts Boeing 737 fleets on 'enhanced surveillance' after plane crash in China

A Chinese passenger plane carrying 133 people has crashed in southern China.

According to Chinese official media, the Boeing 737, operated by Chinese Eastern Airlines, crashed on a hill in Guangxi province while travelling on a domestic route from Kunming to Guangzhou.

Rescue crews are on their way to the collision scene, which is on fire, but the number of casualties remains unknown.&nbsp;

There have been purported videos and photos being shared on social media, but this is the first official confirmation by Chinese state media.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
China Eastern Airlines 737 carrying 133 people crashes in southern China - CCTV. More to follow. <a href="https://t.co/cga0VJPFNA">pic.twitter.com/cga0VJPFNA</a>
— Breaking Aviation News &amp; Videos (@aviationbrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/aviationbrk/status/1505820865140862979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are following multiple unconfirmed reports about a possible accident involving China Eastern Airlines flight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MU5735?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MU5735</a> a Boeing 737-89P (B-1791) en route from Kunming to Guanghzou, China. <a href="https://t.co/d8MhU7mZPv">pic.twitter.com/d8MhU7mZPv</a>
— Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) <a href="https://twitter.com/AviationSafety/status/1505815992366206976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

According to the flight replay, the plane appears to have plunged 30,000 feet in less than two minutes.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed shock&nbsp;over the crash called for an investigation into the accident, state media reported.

"We are shocked to learn of the China Eastern MU5735 accident," state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi saying, while he also called for "all efforts" towards the rescue and to find out the "cause of the accident as soon as possible".

Watch |&nbsp;Boeing passenger jet carrying 133 passenger crashes in China, cause remains unknown

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/boeing-passenger-jet-carrying-133-passenger-crashes-in-china-cause-remains-unknown-464310/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from the agencies)

A Chinese passenger plane carrying 133 people has crashed in southern China. According to Chinese official media, the Boeing 737, operated by Chinese Eastern Airlines, crashed on a hill in Guangxi province while travelling on a domestic route from Kunming to Guangzhou.

A Chinese passenger plane carrying 133 people has crashed in southern China. According to Chinese official media, the Boeing 737, operated by Chinese Eastern Airlines, crashed on a hill in Guangxi province while travelling on a domestic route from Kunming to Guangzhou. Rescue crews are on their way to the collision scene, which is on fire, but the number of casualties remains unknown. There have been purported videos and photos being shared on social media, but this is the first official confirmation by Chinese state media. China Eastern Airlines 737 carrying 133 people crashes in southern China - CCTV. More to follow. pic.twitter.com/cga0VJPFNA — Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 21, 2022 × We are following multiple unconfirmed reports about a possible accident involving China Eastern Airlines flight #MU5735 a Boeing 737-89P (B-1791) en route from Kunming to Guanghzou, China. pic.twitter.com/d8MhU7mZPv — Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) March 21, 2022 × According to the flight replay, the plane appears to have plunged 30,000 feet in less than two minutes. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed shock over the crash called for an investigation into the accident, state media reported. "We are shocked to learn of the China Eastern MU5735 accident," state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi saying, while he also called for "all efforts" towards the rescue and to find out the "cause of the accident as soon as possible". Watch | Boeing passenger jet carrying 133 passenger crashes in China, cause remains unknown (With inputs from the agencies)

Chinese passenger jet carrying 133 people crashes in Guangxi, Xi orders probe

As teams are being rushed to the site where a China Eastern Airlines plane crashed in China's Guangxi region, several videos have emerged on social media showing the final minutes of the plane crash.

According to officials, the passenger jet carrying 132 people crashed onto a mountainside shortly after losing contact with air traffic control.

It is being said that the plane dropped thousands of metres in just three minutes. The flight-tracking ended at 2.22 pm at an altitude of 3,225 feet.

The footage showed thick black fumes of smoke billowing out of the mountain soon after the plane raced vertically towards the ground in the moments before the crash.

According to reports, the plane crashed in Teng county near Wuzhou and caused a mountain fire. Rescue workers have found no signs of any survivors.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Final seconds of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MU5735?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MU5735</a> <a href="https://t.co/gCoMX1iMDL">pic.twitter.com/gCoMX1iMDL</a>
— ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChinaAvReview/status/1505834279275999236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

A villager was quoted by AFP as saying that the plane had "completely fallen apart" and he had seen nearby forest areas destroyed by a fire.

President Xi Jinping said that he was 'shocked' by the incident and immediately ordered an investigation into the cause.

"We are shocked to learn of the China Eastern MU5735 accident," state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi saying, while he also called for "all efforts" towards the rescue and to find out the "cause of the accident as soon as possible".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dash cam footage <a href="https://t.co/w8iOzHblXE">pic.twitter.com/w8iOzHblXE</a>
— ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChinaAvReview/status/1505856305495351296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The plane, flight number MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou, is believed to be a&nbsp;Boeing 737-89P, which is not part of the MAX series that has reported numerous technical faults in recent years.

(With inputs from agencies)

As teams are being rushed to the site where a China Eastern Airlines plane crashed in China's Guangxi region, several videos have emerged on social media showing the final minutes of the plane crash.

As teams are being rushed to the site where a China Eastern Airlines plane crashed in China's Guangxi region, several videos have emerged on social media showing the final minutes of the plane crash. According to officials, the passenger jet carrying 132 people crashed onto a mountainside shortly after losing contact with air traffic control. It is being said that the plane dropped thousands of metres in just three minutes. The flight-tracking ended at 2.22 pm at an altitude of 3,225 feet. The footage showed thick black fumes of smoke billowing out of the mountain soon after the plane raced vertically towards the ground in the moments before the crash. According to reports, the plane crashed in Teng county near Wuzhou and caused a mountain fire. Rescue workers have found no signs of any survivors. Final seconds of #MU5735 pic.twitter.com/gCoMX1iMDL — ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) March 21, 2022 × A villager was quoted by AFP as saying that the plane had "completely fallen apart" and he had seen nearby forest areas destroyed by a fire. President Xi Jinping said that he was 'shocked' by the incident and immediately ordered an investigation into the cause. "We are shocked to learn of the China Eastern MU5735 accident," state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi saying, while he also called for "all efforts" towards the rescue and to find out the "cause of the accident as soon as possible". Dash cam footage pic.twitter.com/w8iOzHblXE — ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) March 21, 2022 × The plane, flight number MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou, is believed to be a Boeing 737-89P, which is not part of the MAX series that has reported numerous technical faults in recent years. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Final moments of China plane caught on camera just before crash

A Chinese navy fighter jet crashed during training on the southern island province of Hainan on Tuesday, killing two pilots, the defence ministry said.

There were "no casualties on the ground," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation.

China's military, which is undergoing a well-funded modernisation drive, has had other accidents in recent years.

An air force plane crashed in Guizhou province during a training exercise in January 2018, killing crew members onboard, the air force said, without revealing the number.

State media reported the crash of an aircraft carrier-based J-15 fighter in April 2018 during training, resulting in the death of the pilot.

In 2015, two pilots died during a training session when their plane engine caught fire shortly after take off, state media reported at the time.

Beijing announced last week a 7.5 percent increase in military spending to 1.19 trillion yuan ($177.6 billion) in 2019, a lower rise than last year as the country faces an economic slowdown.

China is working to provide the two million-strong People's Liberation Army with state-of-the-art hardware, spending heavily on stealth warplanes, aircraft carriers and other weaponry.

A Chinese navy fighter jet crashed during training on the southern island province of Hainan on Tuesday, killing two pilots, the defence ministry said. There were "no casualties on the ground," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation.

A Chinese navy fighter jet crashed during training on the southern island province of Hainan on Tuesday, killing two pilots, the defence ministry said. There were "no casualties on the ground," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation. China's military, which is undergoing a well-funded modernisation drive, has had other accidents in recent years. An air force plane crashed in Guizhou province during a training exercise in January 2018, killing crew members onboard, the air force said, without revealing the number. State media reported the crash of an aircraft carrier-based J-15 fighter in April 2018 during training, resulting in the death of the pilot. In 2015, two pilots died during a training session when their plane engine caught fire shortly after take off, state media reported at the time. Beijing announced last week a 7.5 percent increase in military spending to 1.19 trillion yuan ($177.6 billion) in 2019, a lower rise than last year as the country faces an economic slowdown. China is working to provide the two million-strong People's Liberation Army with state-of-the-art hardware, spending heavily on stealth warplanes, aircraft carriers and other weaponry.

Two pilots killed in China's naval plane crash