Further to
dinkybug's
WU:
It appears that Wang Wei has now been declared a "Revolutionary Martyr" by China, according today's report in the Britain's Electronic Telegraph. Apparently, this honour is the highest which can be conferred upon a person who died serving their country, and is somehat akin to a Communist sainthood. This, on the same day that the Pentagon finally released videotape clearly showing him flying dangerously close to US aircraft, holding a piece of paper with his email address written on it up to the plexiglass of his cockpit. I guess this makes him the first saint with an email address.
I just loved the next bit:
If previous martyrs are a guide, state media may now "discover" stories of the
young Wang secretly sharing his food with elderly neighbours, digging wells
during his time off, or vowing as a toddler to devote his life to the reunification
of the Motherland. Army recruits, navy pilots and students will be urged to
"learn from Wang Wei"
I guess his influence will extend to the training of future airline pilots too - definitely something to think about when tempted by those discount Air China tickets.