On January 24th, Zhang Youxia, the second-in-command in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military, along with Liu Zhenli, another member of the Military Commission, were suddenly ousted from their positions. Following this, more insider information began to surface. Chinese democracy activist Tang Baiqiao, who resides in the United States, revealed to The Epoch Times that Zhang Youxia and Xi Jinping had been engaged in a power struggle over values for over three years since the CCP’s 20th National Congress leadership transition.
Zhang Youxia, born in 1950 in Weinan, Shaanxi, and Xi Jinping, born in 1953 in Fuping, Shaanxi, come from military backgrounds. Zhang’s father, Zhang Zongxun, was a senior general in the CCP and served as the Minister of Logistics for the military. Prior to the CCP’s founding, Zhang Zongxun and Xi Jinping’s father, Xi Zhongxun, were close comrades. When Xi Jinping came to power, Zhang Youxia was one of the princelings in the military who supported Xi’s rise to power.
According to Tang Baiqiao, Xi Jinping’s third term was meant to hand over military authority to Zhang Youxia. As the top-ranked Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, Zhang held immense power within the military. The power struggle between these two individuals is unlike Xi’s previous removal of other military leaders such as Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, and He Weidong, as they were considered mere pawns, while Zhang Youxia’s father was a founding figure of the CCP.
Tang Baiqiao emphasized that Zhang Youxia was a figure with real military authority, capable of directly challenging Xi Jinping. Others like Li Qiang, Cai Qi, and Zhao Leji lacked the capacity to do so. Reports from sources in Beijing suggest that the power struggle between Xi and Zhang had been ongoing for several years.
The friction between Xi and Zhang escalated after Zhang’s reappointment as Vice Chairman of the Military Commission in 2023. It transitioned from mere rhetoric and planning discrepancies to concrete execution disputes, which now seemed to openly defy Xi Jinping’s directives.
In a previous analysis released by the Jamestown Foundation on January 26th, it was mentioned that Xi Jinping mandated the military to be capable of attacking Taiwan by 2027. However, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli’s training plans and execution did not meet Xi’s requirements. Zhang believed that an attack on Taiwan in 2027 was unrealistic, suggesting 2035 as a more plausible timeframe. The analysis indicated that their disagreements had evolved into a public and potentially irreversible defiance against Xi’s orders.
Even before the Fourth Plenum last October, several insiders from the Chinese military circles revealed that “Zhang Youxia had consistently opposed immediate military action against Taiwan, arguing that Taiwan’s defense system ranked just below Israel’s and above Ukraine’s. Zhang’s stance was perceived by Xi Jinping as ‘shaking military morale’ and became the catalyst for subsequent purges of military leaders.”
Tang Baiqiao pointed out that historically when Deng Xiaoping and Ye Jianying dealt with the “Gang of Four,” there was continuous learning, activities, and propaganda emphasizing Deng’s leadership. Similarly, when Zhou Yongkang fell from power in recent years, there was extensive public propaganda. However, in the current situation, despite initial intense propaganda after Zhang Youxia’s removal, the subsequent subdued response indicated Xi Jinping’s struggle to control the situation as most military personnel were aligned with Zhang Youxia and likely opposed his removal.
There have been circulating videos online purporting to show military movements, along with videos showing a large presence of police near the Xinhua Gate in Beijing, although their authenticity cannot be verified. Sources from Beijing previously revealed to The Epoch Times that several mid-to-senior-ranking military officers were abruptly called back from vacation, with travel plans canceled, and were instructed to “stand by” at their current locations. Command, propaganda, and political messaging systems within the military have simultaneously tightened, creating a highly tense atmosphere.
Tang Baiqiao indicated that the situation remains uncertain, likely due to many expressing dissatisfaction with Xi Jinping’s handling of the Zhang Youxia situation. However, retracting his decision might prove difficult.
The relationship between Xi and Zhang was akin to that of close brothers. Reports suggest that even within Xi Jinping’s family, there is sympathy for Zhang Youxia, leaving Xi in an extremely awkward and dangerous situation.
These events have resulted in mutual damage, with Zhang Youxia finding it challenging to recover while Xi Jinping’s influence diminishes, causing officials to continue to offer superficial support.
(Translated and rewritten with additional details and a paragraph break for each new development)