Recently, there have been rumors circulating that former Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Han Weiguo has encountered troubles. His absence from the New Year tea party held in Beijing has sparked concerns from the public. Political analysts suggest that as a key figure in Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s military faction, Han Weiguo’s alleged mishap could pose a significant blow to Xi Jinping. This not only signifies Xi’s inability to protect his most trusted confidant but also indicates a notable decline in his control over military authority.
Independent commentator Cai Shunkun recently posted on the social media platform X, claiming that former Army Commander Han Weiguo is “definitely in trouble”. Cai mentioned that Han Weiguo was absent from the New Year tea party held on December 31, 2024, in Beijing, which is usually a prominent occasion for retired generals to make public appearances. Han Weiguo’s no-show suggests that he may have been investigated or is currently under scrutiny.
Cai also mentioned that rumors about Han Weiguo being investigated had been circulating within China since mid-December 2024, accompanied by various details. It was alleged that Han Weiguo was taken away at the end of a session at the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on a certain afternoon, with committee members present witnessing the process.
As of now, Epoch Times reporters have not been able to confirm the authenticity of the above-mentioned news.
Public information reveals that Han Weiguo was born in January 1956 in Jingxing, Hebei Province. He joined the army at the age of 14, starting as an ordinary soldier in an independent regiment in the Fujian Provincial Military Region and eventually serving as the deputy regimental commander of the Reconnaissance Training Battalion. After the dissolution of the independent regiment, he went on to become the staff chief of a certain division in the 31st Group Army and was appointed as the deputy regimental commander at the age of 29.
In 1989, Han Weiguo became the commander of the “Second Regiment of Jinan”, and from 1993 onwards, he held positions such as deputy division commander of the 91st Division, deputy chief of staff of the 31st Group Army, chief of staff, and deputy army commander. In 2006, he was promoted to the rank of major general. The 31st Group Army is stationed in Fujian, where Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping worked for nearly 17 years from the mid-1980s.
In early 2008, Han Weiguo succeeded Wang Jiaocheng (who was the former Commander of the Southern Theater Command) as the Commander of the 12th Group Army, reaching the rank of full general. In December 2013, Han Weiguo was promoted across military regions to become the Deputy Commander of the Beijing Military Region, assuming the rank of Deputy Commander of a major military region. In July 2015, he was promoted from major general to lieutenant general.
After the Chinese Communist Party initiated the so-called military reforms, Han Weiguo was given significant responsibilities. In February 2016, with the formal establishment of the five major war zones in the Chinese military, Han Weiguo was appointed as the Commander of the Central Theater Command, elevating him to the rank of full general. Not only was he the youngest theater commander at the time, but he was also the only officer to be directly promoted from a deputy military region commander to a theater commander.
On July 28, 2017, just two days after being promoted to a full general, and having served as a full theater commander for only a year and a half, Han Weiguo was promoted to the rank of general. Among the generals promoted after the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, most took four to six years to be promoted from lieutenant general to general, or even longer. Even for cases of rapid promotion, such as the recent downfall of Central Military Commission member and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission Miao Hua, it took three years to become a general after being promoted to lieutenant general. Han Weiguo’s promotion in just two years clearly broke with tradition.
Two days after being promoted to general, Han Weiguo appeared as the overall commander in the military parade held at the Zhurihe Training Base in Inner Mongolia to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the army.
On August 31, 2017, at the conclusion of the ninth session of the Beijing Garrison District of the Chinese Communist Party, Han Weiguo attended and spoke as the Army Commander. This marked his transition from theater commander to army commander, becoming the first general to cross over from a theater command to an army command.
In August 2021, at the age of 65, Han Weiguo was appointed as the Deputy Director of the National People’s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese Communist Party; in March 2023, he also became a Standing Committee Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Deputy Director of the Committee for Proposals.
Liu Pukong, a political analysis expert residing in the United States, believes that the disappearance of Han Weiguo is not a trivial matter. He told Epoch Times reporters that there are several key background factors behind Han Weiguo’s mishap. Firstly, there has been ongoing turbulence within the Chinese Communist Party’s army system. In late December 2024, Chen Hui was appointed as the Army Political Commissar, while the former Political Commissar of the Army, Qin Shutong, had disappeared with rumors circulating about him being investigated. At the same time, Army Commander Li Qiaoming was also rumored to have encountered troubles. As the former Army Commander, Han Weiguo’s situation is significantly related to Xi Jinping.
Liu Pukong analyzed that Han Weiguo can be considered a typical representative of the “Xi family army.” He originated from the 31st Group Army, a force recognized as Xi Jinping’s core power. Since Xi Jinping came into power, Han Weiguo has been heavily relied upon and enjoyed a prosperous career advancement. Liu Pukong stated that if there is indeed an internal power struggle between the faction led by Xi Jinping and the faction led by the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission Zhang Yuxia within the military, the current situation may be confirming this point. Up to now, those who have encountered troubles are mostly close associates of Xi Jinping, while members of the Zhang Yuxia faction have not been implicated. The downfall of Han Weiguo may be another illustration of this factional struggle.
Political commentator Tang Jingyuan, in an interview with Epoch Times reporters, stated that Han Weiguo’s mishap undoubtedly represents a significant blow to Xi Jinping since Han Weiguo can be regarded as the “core of the core” within Xi Jinping’s inner circle.
Tang Jingyuan pointed out that Han Weiguo and the fallen Miao Hua were the most trusted right-hand individuals for Xi Jinping within the military. The downfall of these two individuals underscores the difficulty for Xi Jinping to retain even his most intimate and trusted confidants. In this situation, Xi Jinping’s control over others is even more precarious.
Tang Jingyuan believes that Han Weiguo’s troubles send a signal equivalent to Miao Hua’s downfall, indicating a serious erosion of Xi Jinping’s power within the military. He stated that Xi Jinping’s military influence is undergoing a systematic purification, with both Han Weiguo and Miao Hua originating from the 31st Group Army. He predicted that in the future, more military leaders from the 31st Group Army may be investigated, reassigned from critical positions, and instead, given nominal roles.
On November 28, the Chinese Communist Party officially announced that Central Military Commission member and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, General Miao Hua, was placed under “disciplinary investigation.” However, at that time, Liu Pukong mentioned to Epoch Times reporters that there were many uncertainties behind Miao Hua’s troubles, and it still couldn’t be confirmed whether the mastermind behind this was Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping or the Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Yuxia.
In December 2024, rumors circulated on overseas social media platforms alleging that Li Qiaoming, the General and Commander of the Chinese Communist Party’s Army, had been arrested, signifying that the internal power struggle between Xi Jinping and Zhang Yuxia had escalated to a critical point. Although the specifics remained unclear, regardless of which camp Li Qiaoming belonged to, it indicated that after Xi Jinping lost his military power due to a stroke during the Third Plenum, he was vigorously planning a counterattack to reclaim military authority.