France’s Le Monde reported on a violent attack that occurred in late March in Beijing’s Fangshan district — an incident that has been entirely erased from Chinese public discourse.
On March 29, a large yellow construction vehicle plowed into stalls at the Dahan Ji agricultural market, roughly an hour’s drive from central Beijing, crushing everything in its path until several men climbed into the cab and pulled the driver out. Footage shared on overseas platforms blocked in China, such as X, showed at least five bodies lying amid the chaos. The market, once bustling on weekends, has remained closed ever since. Local residents are barely willing to speak about it, with one saying in a hushed voice, “Something did happen, but we can’t talk about it.” The identity of the attacker and their motive remain unknown to the public.
Le Monde argues this total information blackout marks a new phase in Chinese censorship. In the past, authorities would at minimum issue brief official notices following similar incidents. After a knife attack at a Shanghai supermarket on September 30, 2024, for instance, state media Xinhua reported three deaths and fifteen injuries and disclosed basic details about the suspect.
Random attacks targeting strangers have become a recurring source of public anxiety in China, often described as acts of “taking revenge on society.” Experts cited by Le Monde say these incidents reflect deeper structural issues — economic pressure, social inequality, limited channels for upward mobility, and few outlets for public expression. Some attacks, they note, carry a performative quality, directed not at specific individuals but at society at large.
China’s official media frequently highlights low urban crime rates as evidence of the Communist Party’s effective governance, while pointing to gun violence and disorder in the United States as a contrasting example. The complete suppression of this incident — where even searching the market’s name online yields only pre-attack results — suggests authorities are now willing to make events disappear entirely rather than acknowledge them in any form.
Source: Radio France International, May 2, 2026
https://rfi.my/CfFX