Recently, former Shanghai entrepreneur Hu Li Ren disclosed that a Beijing official revealed that former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, Zhang Youxia, is currently detained at a sealed base of the Central Security Bureau in Gu’an, Langfang, Hebei Province, and is under the coordination for review and disposition by Cai Qi. Although these claims have not been officially confirmed, they have sparked high concern from the public about the current operation of power at the top levels of the Chinese Communist Party and the military crackdown.
Hu Li Ren, in an interview with Epoch Times on February 1st, stated that the information he received came from a currently serving, high-ranking Beijing official. The official clearly pointed out that after being taken under control, Zhang Youxia was not detained in the core urban area of Beijing but was transferred to a training and closed facility in the Gu’an area of Langfang, south of Beijing.
According to public information, Gu’an County in Langfang, Hebei Province, faces the Yongding River to the north, 50 kilometers from Tiananmen Square in Beijing and 8 kilometers from Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Hu Li Ren analyzed that due to the high tension of land and security resources in the core area of Beijing, the Central Security Bureau had moved some training, reviewing, and detention functions to the frontline in Gu’an, Langfang many years ago. These facilities have convenient transportation, strict control, maintain rapid communication with Zhongnanhai, and are relatively isolated from external visibility, suitable for handling “highly sensitive subjects.”
According to his sources, Zhang Youxia is currently in complete isolation and cannot be contacted by the outside world. Considering his age of over seventy, he is undergoing sustained high-intensity interrogations after being controlled, facing significant physical and mental pressures.
Hu Li Ren further revealed that in the case of Zhang Youxia, Cai Qi plays a crucial role. His sources mentioned that Cai Qi has not recently returned to the core office area of Beijing but is directly stationed at the base, personally coordinating the reviewing and disposition work of Zhang Youxia.
Officials indicated that due to the involvement of extremely high levels in the case and the inclusion of many internal details known only to Cai Qi, it is not surprising that he is leading and directing the operation.
Additionally, Hu Li Ren mentioned that sources stated the arrangements regarding the escorting and interrogating of Zhang Youxia were extremely cautious, involving coordination of multiple systems including the military, security, and party discipline.
Hu Li Ren had previously disclosed this information in a self-media video. He told reporters that the credibility of this information is “I don’t think it’s 100 percent, but at least 90 percent.”
He explained that he has a long-standing personal relationship with the Beijing official providing the information, who holds a high rank and is still in office. The specific locations, personnel assignments, and operational details revealed by the official are relatively complete, hence the higher credibility.
Hu Li Ren also quoted the official mentioning that traveling from the Gu’an base through the specially designated route of the Central Security Bureau to Zhongnanhai takes about an hour, making it convenient to handle emergencies. Cai Qi himself has a dormitory in that area and has recently resided there directly to be ready to deal with related affairs at any time.
Epoch Times has not yet been able to confirm the above information.
As of now, the authorities have not made any public statements regarding the specific location of Zhang Youxia’s detention, his physical condition, and the review arrangements. The content disclosed by Hu Li Ren this time further deepens the external concern about the internal power purge in the Chinese Communist Party, the scale and operation of the military cleansing, highlighting the highly opaque nature of the current political environment.
On February 1st, Hu Li Ren stated in a self-media program that the power structure around Xi Jinping is undergoing profound adjustments, and there may be more intense internal tremors in the future.
He specifically pointed out that Cai Qi, as the director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, has long controlled the central operations, is familiar with Xi Jinping’s life, schedule, and decision-making process, and is one of the officials with the most comprehensive knowledge of Xi Jinping’s personal situation. His control over administrative resources, security systems, and central scheduling capabilities positions him in a highly sensitive position within the power structure.
Hu Li Ren warned that the Zhang Youxia incident may not be the end but a prelude to deeper power restructuring. It is certain that the current high-level power structure is in a highly unstable state, and the power struggles from various parties are becoming increasingly intense.
On January 24th, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced the downfall of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, followed by a commentary in the military’s newspaper labeling the two with five “serious” accusations, including “seriously trampling and sabotaging the system where the chairman of the Military Commission holds responsibilities,” and other harsh statements.
On January 31st, the military newspaper published another article on the front page, emphasizing that dealing with Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli is important for “eradicating the roots of poison,” and urging “all army officers and soldiers to resolutely support the central committee’s decision.” Analysts believe that the continuous need for the military newspaper to criticize even several days after the incident reflects the reality of unstable military morale.
A military insider, using the pseudonym Shen Jianhui, had previously revealed to Epoch Times that the conflict between Zhang Youxia and Xi Jinping has a long history, and during the epidemic, dissatisfaction with Xi Jinping among senior military leaders reached its peak.
The insider pointed out that Zhang Youxia and many current and retired military officials privately criticized Xi Jinping for avoiding frontline risks and saw his behavior as “cowardly” while seeking reelection.
The core contradiction focused on the Taiwan issue—Zhang Youxia and most senior military leaders opposed the use of force against Taiwan. The insider believed that Xi Jinping’s motivation for promoting the unification of Taiwan by force is to consolidate his personal power. He fears facing political settlement without power and thus needs to strengthen his ruling legitimacy through significant political accomplishments.