Amidst the rumors of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping losing power, as of June 3, Xi has not made any public appearances for 14 days. The political bureau meeting that was supposed to be held at the end of May has not been reported on until now. On June 2 and 3, Xi Jinping was notably absent from the front pages of party media, sparking speculation.
Looking through the two major official media outlets of the Chinese Communist Party, Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily, Xi Jinping’s most recent public appearance was on May 20 in Luoyang, Henan province, for an inspection, and he has not been seen in public since then.
During this period, reports on Xi Jinping in official media have either been about him writing letters or making phone calls to leaders of other countries, or about his past speeches. On May 27, Xi congratulated the Young Pioneers on their ninth congress; on May 29, he signed an order to issue the “Regulations on Military Scientific Research Rewards.” By the end of May, the largest party media outlet of the Chinese Communist Party, People’s Daily, had not shown any pictures of Xi Jinping for several consecutive days.
Xi Jinping’s news typically dominates the front page headlines, but on June 2 and 3, news about him disappeared from the front page of People’s Daily.
American China expert Gordon Chang posted on June 3, “Xi Jinping’s disappearance from People’s Daily indicates that he has lost power.”
In sensitive political times in the past, Xi Jinping has also disappeared from the front pages of party media. The changes in the coverage of the party leader by the official party media have always been an important window for outsiders to peek into the high-handed politics of the Chinese Communist Party.
Both domestically and internationally, there have been rumors about Xi Jinping’s power being in trouble. Senior commentator Tang Jingyuan, who is now residing in the United States, told Epoch Times that Xi Jinping’s disappearance for over ten days this time indicates that some unusual events may be happening behind the scenes.
“If Xi Jinping were in a normal state of power, the party media would certainly respond to the rumors, emphasizing Xi’s position to show that his power is not in question. Therefore, this time there must have been some major changes within the high levels of the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
Cultural scholar and well-known independent media figure Wen Zhao, currently based in Canada, pointed out in a video program that this phenomenon is highly abnormal. Prior to this occurrence, the longest period Xi Jinping had been absent was about two weeks, only happening twice before. One instance was before the 18th National Congress held in 2012 when Xi Jinping was missing for a period. At that time, one explanation was that he had injured his back while swimming, so he needed to rest at home. Another explanation was that Xi Jinping had threatened the senior members of the Party, demanding a complete takeover without surrendering all party, government, and military power to him, otherwise he would not succeed. This standoff lasted for two weeks until the seniors agreed to his demands. The second long absence was from July 29 last year to mid-August. During this time, covering the Beidaihe meetings, his disappearance was considered normal.
Wen Zhao mentioned that in the previous two instances of long absences by Xi Jinping, rumors would start circulating after his disappearance. However, this time, rumors were already swirling before his disappearance. Claims such as the meeting of the political bureau held on May 14 pressuring him to step down, Zhang Yuexia criticizing Xi, and Hu Jintao threatening reforms and openness even at the cost of civil war, were all circulating. Normally, in the midst of such unfavorable rumors, Xi Jinping should frequently appear to calm the people, but instead, he has once again been absent for over ten days, which is quite unusual.
Currently, various rumors are circulating, with some even suggesting that Xi is under house arrest in Luoyang. Researcher Shen Mingshi from the Taiwan Institute of National Defense and Security expressed to Epoch Times that Xi Jinping has disappeared several times since taking office, and this recent disappearance of over ten days might not necessarily mean he is under house arrest, but could be related to power struggles between factions within the Party.
As customary, the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo holds a meeting every month and sometimes organizes collective learning sessions, all usually presided over by Xi Jinping himself. However, as of June 3, there has been no official media coverage of the Political Bureau meeting or collective learning sessions for May.
Tang Jingyuan mentioned that under exceptional circumstances, the regular meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party might not be held. If Xi Jinping did not convene a meeting, it indicates that something very unusual has happened within the Party; if a meeting was held but not reported on externally, it’s also highly irregular, unless the content of the meeting is too sensitive to be made public.
He believes that this seemingly corresponds to the previous rumors that a large-scale expanded meeting of the Political Bureau was held in May, and it was presided over by the anti-Xi faction, focusing on issues such as the transfer of power away from Xi Jinping. If this is true, the content of the meeting naturally cannot be disclosed.
Shen Mingshi pointed out that the May Political Bureau meeting might not have taken place due to incomplete attendance, and Xi Jinping might still be staying in Luoyang, unwilling to return to Beijing. With Xi absent, the meeting could not proceed, or perhaps crucial issues had yet to be resolved, hence the lack of public disclosure.
Since May, rumors of the dismissal of senior Party members and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Yuexia, have been circulating. Xi’s close confidant, Miao Hua, recently had his disciplinary case upgraded from “serious violation of discipline” to “serious violation of discipline and law.” Another one of Xi’s close allies, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, He Weidong, has been missing for a long time since the National People’s Congress in March.
According to Xinhua News Agency, former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xu Qiliang, passed away on June 2 in Beijing at the age of 75 due to a sudden heart attack while jogging. Beijing sources indicated that Xu Qiliang’s death bore some resemblance to former Premier Li Keqiang’s, with one swimming and the other jogging. Foul play may be a factor in both instances.
Xu Qiliang had risen through the ranks during the reigns of Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping, and retired peacefully. Regarding his factional background, some say he was aligned with Jiang Zemin, while others claim he was either with Hu Jintao or Xi Jinping.
Some suggest that Xu Qiliang was frightened to death by the military’s purge storm. Shen Mingshi indicated that Xu Qiliang was likely associated with the Xi faction, having forged ties with Xi in Fujian early on and being highly utilized since Xi came to power, placing him in Xi Jinping’s camp. “Currently, one by one, generals from the 31st Group Army or from Xi Jinping’s faction are being arrested. Xu Qiliang being scared to death is understandable.”
Tang Jingyuan stated that significant changes are happening in the top ranks of the Chinese Communist Party’s military, and nearly all that have been affected are from Xi’s political faction. This indiscriminate manner of cleansing associated with the top Party leader’s confidants signifies that the foundation of the leader’s power is undoubtedly in significant trouble.