Recently, member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee Cai Qi made an appearance in Beidaihe, signaling the traditional “Beidaihe time” for senior CCP officials. There are differing opinions among observers regarding whether there are any meetings happening in Beidaihe currently, especially concerning the traditional “old guard politics.” However, they all agree that internal struggles within the CCP are ongoing and escalating.
According to Xinhua News Agency, on August 3, Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Secretary of the Central Secretariat, visited experts on summer vacation in Beidaihe, accompanied by the Minister of the CCP Central Organization Department Shi Taifeng and State Councilor and Secretary General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong.
State Councilor Shen Yiqin did not accompany Cai Qi to the meeting as is customary, with the current reason being unclear.
Every early August, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat traditionally meets experts in Beidaihe, which is a signal that senior CCP officials have entered the “Beidaihe time.”
On July 30, the CCP Politburo convened a meeting and decided to hold the Fifth Plenary Session in October 2026, with the main agenda including discussing issues related to “advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the party.” Analysts believe that a larger purge within the CCP is likely to commence.
Several years ago, official media hinted that there were no meetings in Beidaihe.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun informed Epoch Times that in reality, there are no meetings during Xi Jinping’s era in Beidaihe; it’s purely a vacation spot where even making suggestions is not allowed. Although rumors of news coming from Beidaihe surface frequently in recent years, many of them are speculative or fabricated for entertainment, lacking substantial reference value.
He believes that Xi Jinping would not allow political veterans to engage in any discussions on political matters in Beidaihe anymore. “I don’t think they have any tricks left in Beidaihe now.”
However, Cai Shenkun thinks that tensions are high within the CCP due to the upcoming Fifth Plenary Session and the unresolved issue of Zhang Yuxia. The lack of a conclusion on Zhang Yuxia’s case after more than half a year indicates the party’s internal disunity or possible dissent within the military.
On January 24, the CCP Ministry of National Defense announced that Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Yuxia and Chief of the General Staff Department Liu Zhenli were under investigation. As of now, there have been no further updates, and they have not been removed from their positions in the National Military Commission or stripped of their qualifications as national lawmakers. Sources cited by Epoch Times on April 28 mentioned that there were three different opinions at the level of the Politburo Standing Committee regarding the cases of Zhang and Liu.
On the day Zhang Yuxia fell from grace, the CCP military newspaper published an editorial condemning him for “seriously trampling and damaging the chairman responsibility system of the Military Commission” and “endangering the party’s governing foundation.”
Cai Shenkun previously disclosed that Zhang Yuxia admitted to attempting to force Xi Jinping to relinquish power and boldly said, “Rewriting history is just one step away.” Moreover, Zhang Yuxia had received support from some party elders.
He believes that Xi Jinping faces significant challenges if he fails to handle the Zhang Yuxia case, especially regarding convening the Fifth Plenary Session or seeking re-election at the 21st Party Congress next year while maintaining full control over the regime.
According to Cai Shenkun, Xi Jinping’s biggest headache stems from his handling of the Zhang Yuxia issue, as touching on this affects the interests of the entire “princelings” and “military princelings,” which makes him cautious.
“In the past, 500 wealthy families shared this cake, and now Xi Jinping wants to have it all to himself, which certainly displeases everyone. In the current situation, with no better alternative, this stalemate is likely to persist.”
He suggests that initially, Xi Jinping aimed to transform the Party’s military into his own military. However, at least for now, this Party’s military remains as it is, not Xi’s personal guard.
Nevertheless, Cai Shenkun believes that even if there were a meeting in Beidaihe, they would not directly discuss Zhang Yuxia’s issues.
He indicates that post the 20th Party Congress, the internal struggles within the CCP mainly revolve around power struggles within Xi’s camp, such as the showdown between the fallen figures like He Weidong, Miao Hua, and Zhang Yuxia, who originally belonged to Xi’s camp. Power struggles and conflicts for interests among the members of Xi’s camp intensify as Xi Jinping’s rule progresses.
Veteran political commentator based in the US, Tang Jingyuan, thinks that there are anti-Xi undercurrents still present within the CCP.
He points out two incidents: first, on July 31, the Party Secretary of Hebei Province Ni Yuefeng was removed from his position, with his whereabouts unknown. His replacement Luo Wen is believed to be promoted by Li Keqiang, while Ni Yuefeng, considered part of the Fujian faction, is Xi’s confidant.
Second, as per past CCP customs, Shen Yiqin, responsible for science, education, culture, and health, usually accompanies Cai Qi to events, but this year, Wu Zhenglong took her place. Shen Yiqin has a close relationship with Li Zhanshu, a member of Xi’s camp.
Tang Jingyuan believes that continual issues within the high-ranking Xi’s camp suggest that at this year’s Beidaihe meeting, Xi Jinping might face a siege from the anti-Xi faction.
Additionally, Tang Jingyuan notes the spread of bizarre rumors on overseas networks just before Beidaihe time, such as the alleged poisoning of the entire family of Hu Jintao, the arrest of Wen Jiabao’s wife Zhang Peili and other relatives, etc. “Behind this sensational speculation is a reflection of intensified power struggles within the party, indicating that there might be fierce infighting between Xi’s faction and the anti-Xi faction during this Beidaihe meeting.”