The Beijing authorities are preparing for a military parade on September 3 to commemorate the resistance against Japan. Observers point out that Beijing’s high-profile military parade cannot conceal the corruption within the military and the crisis at the top level. It is suggested that the commander of the Central Theater Command, who is supposed to lead the parade, may have encountered some issues, leading to difficulties in finding a replacement. The abnormal personnel changes in Beijing’s defense forces have also sparked concerns.
The CCP has announced the arrangements for the resistance military parade on September 3, stating that CCP leader Xi Jinping will review the troops, but the commander of the military parade in Beijing has not been announced yet. A commentator from Taiwan’s “Up Media” published an article today pointing out that the current candidate is likely to encounter difficulties, and the last-minute replacement may be unexpected.
Reviewing the past commanders of military parades in Beijing:
– In 1949, during the founding ceremony, the commander was General Nie Rongzhen.
– From 1950 to 1952 and in 1953, General Nie Rongzhen served as the commander.
– From 1954 to 1958, General Yang Chengwu from the Beijing Military Region served as the commander.
– During the 1984 parade, General Qin Jiwei, who was about to turn 70, served as the commander.
– In 2009, General Fang Fenghui from the Beijing Military Region was the commander.
– In 2015, during the 70th anniversary of the resistance, General Song Puxuan from the Beijing Military Region served as the commander.
– In 2019, General Yi Xiaoguang from the Central Theater Command was the commander.
The commentator pointed out that historically, the commanders of military parades have mostly been the commanders of the Beijing Military Region (now the Central Theater Command), which has become a convention. However, the commander of the Central Theater Command is suspected to have encountered problems.
In July 2024, official information revealed that the former commander of the Central Theater Command, Huang Ming, was reassigned to the Northern Theater Command. The Hong Kong media, “Sing Tao Daily,” disclosed that the former commander of the Northern Theater Command, Wang Qiang, was reassigned to the Central Theater Command. However, the official announcement regarding Wang Qiang’s assignment to the Central Theater Command is still pending. The current political commissar of the Central Theater Command is Xu Deqing.
On July 31 of this year, Wang Qiang and Xu Deqing were absent from the National Defense Ministry’s reception held at the Great Hall of the People.
It is believed that the likelihood of General Li Zhiyong, who was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Central Theater Command in May 2023 but was later confirmed to have encountered issues, serving as the commander is low. Another option might be the Commander of the Beijing Garrison, but the current commander was reassigned to become the Deputy Commander of the Armed Police Force in March this year, and the successor is unknown.
Having a Lieutenant General as the military parade commander is not uncommon, as Qin Jiwei and Fang Fenghui were both Lieutenant Generals when they served as commanders.
Another option suggested is to bring a General from a different theater command to serve as the parade commander, which would break the convention and might be seen as a global joke, but it remains a possibility.
The last resort would be for the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Military Commission, Liu Zhenli, or even the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, to serve as the commander. The possibility of Liu Zhenli taking up the role is higher. Zhang Youxia has recently been rumored to be central in sidelining Xi Jinping’s military authority. With another Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, He Weidong, having “disappeared,” Zhang Youxia’s sole grasp of military power could be further reinforced if he participates in the military parade, attracting global attention.
Both the Beijing Garrison and the Central Theater Command, responsible for defending Beijing, appear to be missing key figures, prompting concerns.
During a military exercise near Taiwan in May last year, sources close to the military in Hebei Province revealed to the Epoch Times that there were abnormal movements in the Central Theater Command based in Beijing, while political stability was intensified around Beijing. In the neighboring region of Hebei, there were discussions critical of Xi Jinping within the forces. Reportedly, there was discontent within the military towards Xi Jinping, with talks indicating dissatisfaction and opposition towards him.
Political commentator Li Lin told the Epoch Times that the authorities may have secretly arranged for replacements within the Central Theater Command, such as appointing an interim commander, without public announcement. Such covert maneuvers have become common practice within the CCP in recent years.
The commentator suggested that, currently, the 75-year-old Chairman of the Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, would likely be overseeing the preparations for the military parade and the deployment of defense in Beijing.
Recently, Xi Jinping led a group of high-ranking officials from the party, government, and military to Tibet for an event, with the military being represented by the Military Commission member and Commission Secretary Zhang Shengmin, while Vice Chairman of the Military Commission Zhang Youxia remained in Beijing. It used to be that when Xi Jinping visited different locations, he would be accompanied by a Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, and with the recent news surrounding Vice Chairman He Weidong, it is speculated that he is under investigation.
The commentator stated that the difficulty in finding a parade commander reflects chaos in military personnel appointments. According to their analysis, among the 79 senior generals promoted since Xi Jinping took office, 10 have been officially removed or dismissed, while at least 16 others have been rumored to be at risk, totaling 26 individuals, which is over thirty percent of the total. They suggested that the military parade scheduled for September is merely a political spectacle, unable to conceal the intense power struggles within the CCP’s military.
The article criticized the state of the military, funded by Chinese taxpayers’ hard-earned money, as being in a state of decay, yet no one within the top ranks of the CCP is held accountable for this deterioration. Despite promoting these senior generals, Xi Jinping continues to call for the military to “listen to the command of Chairman Xi,” a move that further questions the legitimacy of the regime. The CCP claims to have “Four Confidences” (referring to confidence in their path, theory, system, and culture), but if any high-ranking official within the CCP still possesses a sense of shame, they should acknowledge that in reality, the CCP lacks confidence in these areas.
Lastly, the commentator concluded that while the state media is fervently promoting Xi Jinping as a national idol, the signs of internal unrest within the CCP are apparent. The diminishing support for Xi Jinping and the erosion of his authority indicate that the fate of the Communist Party is sealed, with the ongoing events awaiting further revelations.
Analyst Li Lin remarked to the Epoch Times a day earlier that the CCP’s secretive removal of high-ranking officials increasingly reflects intense power struggles, with the opacity of these moves indicating harsher confrontations than before. The issue of power within the leadership of Xi Jinping currently remains murky. Yet, the collapse of the former Soviet Union came as a surprise to Western observers, and as history has shown, oppressive regimes are bound to fail.