The Chinese Communist Party held a grand ceremony today (17th) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to commemorate the centenary of the former party leader Jiang Zemin’s birthday. Among the retired top officials of the CCP in attendance were Wen Jiabao and others, including the rumored-to-be under house arrest former Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Wang Qishan, while Hu Jintao was notably absent.
Central Chinese state television broadcast showed Hu Jintao’s absence, with the presence of Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Zhang Dejiang, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan, and others.
Additionally, it was noted that the long-bedridden Luo Gan did not make an appearance.
It is reported that the list of attendees, including all the vice-national-level and above leaders, senior military commanders, and descendants of the party elders, was prepared by the director of the CCP Central Office, Cai Qi, and approved by Xi Jinping.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun previously pointed out that the centenary ceremony of Jiang Zemin’s birthday was a “political barometer,” and as per tradition, Hu Jintao must show up, making it also interesting to see if Wang Qishan is allowed to appear.
Since being escorted away by personnel arranged by Xi Jinping at the CCP’s 20th Congress, Hu Jintao has not been seen for a long time. Last year, he did not attend the military parade in Beijing. In March of this year, when the remains of the CCP elder Song Ping were cremated, Hu Jintao only sent a wreath, reasons for his absence are unknown.
Recently, there has been a wave of purge among associates of the CCP elders, attracting attention.
Tian Xuebin, formerly a secretary of the ex-Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and former Deputy Minister of Water Resources, has been arrested.
Close associates of Wang Qishan have also been subject to purges, including: Dong Hong, a former Deputy Inspector of the Central Inspection Commission who had long served as Wang Qishan’s “right hand,” Tian Huiyu, former President of China Merchants Bank who was his secretary during his time at China Construction Bank, Fan Yifei, former Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China who served as Wang Qishan’s “financial mastermind” at the Bank of China, Zhou Liang, who was Wang Qishan’s personal secretary for 20 years, among others.
In June, the US magazine “Foreign Policy” revealed that in order to secure his re-election at the upcoming 21st Congress of the CCP, Xi Jinping, after completely purging senior military figures like Zhang Yuxia, has since shifted his focus to heavyweight party elders, with his latest target being his former ally Wang Qishan. While the Beijing authorities have not publicly accused Wang Qishan of any crimes, he is effectively under house arrest in Beijing.