An Airbus A321 passenger plane operated by a Russian airline crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Saturday. None of the 224 passengers and crew on board survived. The tragedy astonished the world. It is among the worst air accidents in recent years, and public opinion immediately went into overdrive, trying to connect Russia's can of worms, from its economy to its geopolitics, to the plane crash.
The crash happened a month after Russia started its air strikes against the Islamic State, an offshoot of which in Egypt has claimed responsibility. Is it revenge against Moscow from the extremist group from the Middle East? The question cropped up soon after the accident. Both Egypt and Russia have denied that the plane was shot down by a missile, but still, the threat of terrorism, although with certain misgivings, has become the first guess from public opinion.
More suspicions are over technical problems. There are many clues and materials in this regard that can be discussed. First of all, the airliner was an 18-year-old, second-hand plane that had been in service for several airlines in the Middle East.
It also hit people's minds that there are still quite a few airliners from the former Soviet Union, ferrying passengers across the sky until today. The manufacturing industry of civil aerospace was once so powerful in the former Soviet Union, with the lowest rate of civil aviation accidents worldwide. Yet today, more than half of the industry is shut down. It is now the norm to purchase or rent foreign second-hand passenger planes. In addition, poor management of certain small-scale airlines in the country has also led to a sharp rise in the accident rate, which is three times the world average.
Russia has strong military power and a firm diplomatic stance. However, it has not yet extricated itself from the sluggish economy since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Russian life today depends to a large extent on the international oil price, since the foundation of its original industry was badly damaged, while its capability to innovate is not yet revitalized.
But no matter how hard it seems, the country is no less significant. It has a strong scientific technological base, well-developed education and a Russian population that is hard-working and dauntless.
Russia is now facing huge challenges, including dealing with the aftermath of the accident, and ensuring the safety of its civilian flights. As its neighbor, China shows the utmost sorrow and sympathy for Russia. We hope all the airliners and passengers will be safe in the future.
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