Beijing Military Holds Party Building Conference Amidst Scandal and Turmoil
Voice of Hope, July 24, 2023 (comprehensive report by our reporter Han Mei)
Against the backdrop of a scandal involving the two major military branches of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Beijing convened a party building conference for the entire military on July 20-21. However, the absence of important figures such as Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the CCP Military Commission, has raised concerns about the state of the CCP military, which is believed to be experiencing significant turmoil.
The last time the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China held a party building meeting was in 2018, during which Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CCP, attended and addressed the gathering. At that time, all members of the Central Military Commission, including the vice chairmen of the two military commissions, were present. However, this year’s conference witnessed the absence of both Zhang Youxia and Li Shangfu, a member of the CCP Military Commission and Minister of National Defense.
Commentator Yang Wei analyzed that considering Zhang Youxia’s responsibility for political work, his absence from the party building conference is unusual. It is speculated that he may still be dealing with the chaos within the military. Furthermore, Xi Jinping himself was not present, and instead, he issued a single instruction emphasizing loyalty and highlighting the role of political cadres. These developments are seen as clear indications that something significant has occurred within the CCP military.
Yao Cheng, a former lieutenant colonel of the Chinese Communist Party Navy, also expressed similar concerns. He noted that logically, if Xi Jinping was absent, Zhang Youxia should have been present, suggesting that their absence is abnormal. Cheng revealed that a major security check is currently being conducted based on rumors of leaked secrets by the CCP’s Rocket Force to the United States. Additionally, there are reports of an investigation into Ju Gansheng, commander of the Strategic Support Force, for an incident involving a spy balloon entering US airspace.
In response to the army-wide party building work conference, commentator Zhou Xiaohui published an analysis in The Epoch Times, highlighting Xi Jinping’s reference to the Gutian meeting in his instructions. The Gutian meetings in CCP history were pivotal moments in the struggle for military power. Zhou believes that Xi’s mention of the Gutian meeting indicates his concerns about the instability of military power and the need for potential purges.
Zhou further noted abnormalities in the CCP military’s website since reports of the Rocket Army’s investigation emerged. There has been a significant decline in news regarding the Rocket Army, while the military has consistently published articles critiquing factions and emphasizing political discipline and loyalty to Xi Jinping.
On the 24th, Yao Cheng once again shared internal news from the CCP army on Twitter, revealing that major adjustments are taking place. The leadership of each service and theater needs to be restructured by August 1, along with adjustments at the army and division levels. Zhang Youxia’s absence from the party conference is attributed to his intensive work in the area of deployment.
Yao Cheng also disclosed that, to his knowledge, Xi Jinping has replaced all the generals above the lieutenant general level. As a result, 18 generals, 30 lieutenant generals, and over 200 major generals have been either arrested or demoted, with some even resorting to suicide. It is expected that more generals will be purged in the ongoing shake-up.
Editor in charge: Han Mei
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