Gas explosion kills 31

Here’s what else you need to know about China today:

A gas explosion at a barbecue eatery killed 31 on Wednesday evening in Yinchuan, the capital of China’s Ningxia region, on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival. The explosion, caused by a liquefied petroleum gas leak, is one of the country’s deadliest restaurant blasts in recent years, prompting widespread discussion on social media. In response to the incident, Chinese leader Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 ordered a nationwide safety overhaul, calling on all regions to rectify safety risks and “hidden dangers.”

Fiji reversed a decision to change the name of Taiwan’s diplomatic mission to include “Republic of China” (ROC), the formal name for Taiwan. In March, Fiji’s new government had decided to allow the Taiwanese representative office in the country to revert to its former name, but later backtracked on the change due to pressure from the Chinese government. The Taiwanese Mission will keep its current designation as “Taipei Trade Office in Fiji.”

China backed Argentina’s claim on the Falkland Islands (also known as the Malvinas Islands), after Chinese ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Gěng Shuǎng 耿爽 reiterated Beijing’s support and called on countries to abandon “colonial thinking” on June 20 to a special UN committee on decolonization, warning of its serious implications for the international order. The meeting adopted a resolution that called on Britain and Argentina to resume negotiations over a centuries-long dispute over sovereignty of the islands.

Germany’s top carmakers were accused of using forced Uyghur labor in their Chinese supply chains. Berlin-based nonprofit European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights filed a complaint with German regulators against Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, alleging the companies use “raw materials and components that…are mined and produced under conditions of forced labor” in Xinjiang. Volkswagen has announced plans to commission an independent audit of its factory in Xinjiang.

Chinese state media today is focused on the greatness of Xi Jinping: Xinhua News Agency’s top story is about Xi’s appreciation for the “great patriotic poet” Qū Yuán 屈原, whose politically motivated suicide by drowning provides one origin story for the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls today.

The People’s Daily print edition today highlights Xi’s command to Party members to avoid “political achievement projects” to try to get “quick success.” Citing Xi’s record of successful local government management as far back as 2003, and the new city of Xiong’an as an example of successful projects, the article says Xi said: “We can’t take the road of rushing to make decisions, exhausting resources, and focusing on GDP.”