Parachute Protocol Failures Erode Trust in China's Military The recent acknowledgment by Beijing of a Chinese paratrooper's death during a training exercise in Qinghai province raises more questions than it answers about the safety and accountability within China's military.
The story, buried as it is beneath the usual pomp and circumstance of state media reports, highlights a disturbing trend that warrants closer examination.
State controlled Xinhua reported on Sunday that Xia Shiyuan, a 23 year old paratrooper from Anhui province, died shortly after exiting an airborne aircraft during a routine training exercise in Golmud.