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China Eastern MU5735: Flight data bolsters claim China Eastern plane was deliberately crashed in 2022

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"I argue that war is unlikely to occur due to the deep economic ties underlying the great power politics between the two countries."

"War with either [Russia or China] is neither inevitable nor imminent."

"As things currently stand, the US is not prepared to fight and win a war with China over Taiwan."

"A war between the US and China today is no more inevitable than was war between the rising US and the declining United Kingdom a century ago."

"[T]he tension between the United States and China will grow, and competition will intensify; it is inevitable. War, however, is not."

"War is a risk, but it is not inevitable."

"The risk of a military conflict is very serious."

"The smallest misstep by either side [Taipei and Beijing] could ignite a U.S.-China war."

"China is preparing for a war and specifically for a war with the United States."

"The most proximate potential timeframe for war is in the next two years."

"My gut tells me we [the US] will fight [with China] in 2025."

Will There Be a US-China War?

China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735, traveling from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed into a hillside in China's Guangxi region on March 21, 2022, killing all 132 people on board. The impact broke the Boeing 737-800 into roughly 40,000 pieces.

China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735, traveling from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed into a hillside in China's Guangxi region on March 21, 2022, killing all 132 people on board. The impact broke the Boeing 737-800 into roughly 40,000 pieces.

Data released by the US National Transportation Safety Board, obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request, shows that fuel switches on both engines moved from the run position to the cutoff position while the aircraft cruised at 29,000 feet. Engine speeds dropped immediately after.

Data released by the US National Transportation Safety Board, obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request, shows that fuel switches on both engines moved from the run position to the cutoff position while the aircraft cruised at 29,000 feet. Engine speeds dropped immediately after.

On a Boeing 737, a pilot must physically pull the switch upward before moving it from the run to the cutoff position. Aviation expert Tony Stanton said the data is "very difficult to reconcile with a conventional dual-engine mechanical failure and is much more consistent with [human] commanded fuel shutoff."

On a Boeing 737, a pilot must physically pull the switch upward before moving it from the run to the cutoff position. Aviation expert Tony Stanton said the data is "very difficult to reconcile with a conventional dual-engine mechanical failure and is much more consistent with [human] commanded fuel shutoff."

The flight data recorder stopped capturing information when the plane's generators lost power at 26,000 feet. The cockpit voice recorder continued on battery backup, and US investigators recovered four audio files from the damaged device before sending them to China's Civil Aviation Administration.

The flight data recorder stopped capturing information when the plane's generators lost power at 26,000 feet. The cockpit voice recorder continued on battery backup, and US investigators recovered four audio files from the damaged device before sending them to China's Civil Aviation Administration.

China's Civil Aviation Administration has not released a final report on the crash, stating that disclosure could "endanger national security and social stability." In 2024, the agency said no faults were found with the aircraft, crew or weather conditions prior to the crash.

China's Civil Aviation Administration has not released a final report on the crash, stating that disclosure could "endanger national security and social stability." In 2024, the agency said no faults were found with the aircraft, crew or weather conditions prior to the crash.

Former air safety investigator Neil Campbell said fuel switches are almost never turned off in flight, describing the action as "a deliberate event." Investigators have noted a similar focus on fuel switch movement in the June 2025 Air India Boeing 787 crash, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board.

Former air safety investigator Neil Campbell said fuel switches are almost never turned off in flight, describing the action as "a deliberate event." Investigators have noted a similar focus on fuel switch movement in the June 2025 Air India Boeing 787 crash, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board.

Data Suggests Deliberate Fuel Cutoff in China Eastern Crash

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