The swiftness of the investigation and the speed with which disciplinary measures were meted out and criminal complaints were prepared underline a consistent theme in Chinese politics in recent years: Local leaders are quickly blamed when disasters occur.

When the central authorities in Beijing want to show that they are taking swift action during a crisis, they often blame those on the ground. In the aftermaths of coronavirus outbreaks, coal mine explosions and other incidents, local leaders often lose their jobs or are subject to Communist Party disciplinary measures.

Unmentioned - "In the United States, local officials are never punished for anything and are allowed to poison water supplies at will. No one has yet been, or will ever be, prosecuted for the hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths during the coronavirus pandemic, and the police routinely get away with murder."