At the end of 2025, focus shifts to Xi Jinping’s promotion to two general ranks, raising controversy; Unable to find jobs, can’t go back home! Mainland migrant workers sleeping on the streets; Spate of thefts in France, with a warehouse of JD.com being robbed, leading to a loss of nearly 40 million euros.
The Chinese Communist Party’s military has undergone several rounds of purges, with a significant number of generals personally promoted by Xi Jinping falling from grace. On December 22nd, the CCP leader Xi Jinping once again promoted two generals, sparking external scrutiny.
According to Xinhua News Agency of the Chinese Communist Party, Eastern Theater Commander Yang Zhibin and Central Theater Commander Han Shengyan were promoted to the rank of general. The promotion ceremony was held at the Bayi Building in Beijing, presided over by Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Shengmin, with Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Yuxia reading the order promoting the generals. CCP leader Xi Jinping, Central Military Commission members Liu Zhenli and representatives from various departments of the military in Beijing attended the ceremony.
It is worth noting that in the recent rounds of purges within the military, a large number of generals handpicked by Xi Jinping have been removed from their positions.
Official reports indicate that from the end of the 20th National Congress of the CCP in 2022 to the past 3 years up to 2025, 14 generals approved by Xi himself have been investigated for serious corruption issues. The recent promotion of new generals by Xi Jinping once again sends intriguing signals.
Recently, the Eastern Theater Commander Lin Xiangyang and Political Commissar Liu Qingsong were dismissed from their positions. In September of this year, Major Generals Yang Zhibin and Zhang Jichun were both transferred to the Eastern Theater, with Yang serving as Acting Commander and Zhang as Acting Political Commissar.
On December 13th, Yang Zhibin and Zhang Jichun were featured in official reports of the National Memorial Ceremony for the Nanjing Massacre victims.
However, of the recent promotions, only Yang Zhibin was promoted to the rank of general, officially confirming his position as the Commander of the Eastern Theater.
Public information shows that Yang Zhibin, born in 1963 in Anyang, Henan, has held key positions in the Air Force system for a long time, serving in various important roles in cities like Nanjing, Wuhan, Fuzhou, and Lanzhou. In 2017, he was transferred to the Shaanxi Military Region as Commander. In 2021, he was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Southern Theater, then transferred to the Western Theater as Deputy Commander in 2023, and finally to the Eastern Theater as Acting Commander in 2025, later being promoted to Commander.
The attention on Yang Zhibin stems from his background in the 26th Army of the Air Force stationed in Fujian, with his former leader being the Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Xu Qiliang, who “suddenly died of illness” in June this year. Additionally, the former Air Force Commander Ding Laihang, who was dismissed in 2023, also came from the 26th Army in Fujian.
Among the five major theaters of the CCP, the Eastern Theater attracts the most attention. This is due to its main strategic missions in dealing with the Taiwan Strait and East China Sea situations. Since the military reform of 2016, the Eastern Theater has undergone three Commanders, namely Liu Yuejun, He Weidong, and Lin Xiangyang. He Weidong was promoted to Political Bureau member and Vice Chairman of the Military Commission. Moreover, the origin of former Military Commission member Miao Hua dates back to the precursor of the Eastern Theater, the Nanjing Military Region.
However, in recent years, the Eastern Theater has become a key target for “purges.” Prior to the Fourth Plenary Session of this year, the CCP officially announced the expulsion from the party and the military of 9 generals, more than half of them from the Eastern Theater, including Miao Hua, He Weidong, Lin Xiangyang, Wang Chunning, and Wang Xiubin.
Furthermore, at this year’s Fourth Plenary Session, in addition to the announced downfall of 9 generals, 14 generals who are members of the Central Committee “disappeared”, including Eastern Theater Political Commissar Liu Qingsong.
Under these circumstances, Xi Jinping’s support and promotion of Yang Zhibin, and the promotion to general rank, have led to speculations from the outside world.
Now, turning attention to another newly promoted general, Han Shengyan.
The focus on Han Shengyan stems primarily from this year’s “September 3rd Military Parade.” As per tradition, such a large-scale parade should have been commanded by Air Force General and Central Theater Commander Wang Qiang. Yet, the overall commander of the September 3rd Parade was not Wang Qiang but rather Lieutenant General Han Shengyan, the Air Force Commander of the Central Theater. This led to external speculation that Xi Jinping’s parade was effectively downgraded, indicating Wang Qiang’s removal. Presently, the official confirmation that “Han Shengyan is the Central Theater Commander” indirectly validates “Wang Qiang’s situation”.
According to public records, Han Shengyan was born in 1963 in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, and has held key positions in the Air Force system for a long time. Following the military reform in 2016, he entered the Western Theater as Deputy Commander; in 2018, he became the Air Force Commander of the Central Theater.
As of late October this year, following the Fourth Plenum, since Xi Jinping came to power, out of the 79 generals he promoted, about 36 have been officially removed from their posts, accounting for nearly half of them.
Many believe that post the Fourth Plenum, military purges are likely to temporarily cease; however, recently, the CCP military authorities remarkably issued a public call for clues regarding corruption in the Air Force procurement. Additionally, news has surfaced about the investigations of Air Force Commander Chang Dingqiu and Political Commissar Guo Puxiao.
On December 11th, prominent political scholar Liu Junning claimed on the X platform that the current Air Force Commander, General Chang Dingqiu, suffered a sudden heart attack and died during his “detention period” by the military disciplinary committee.
Political commentator Li Lin believes that while Xi Jinping has promoted two generals, it remains unknown whether these two individuals are loyal to Xi and if Xi trusts them. Furthermore, both Yang Zhibin and Han Shengyan have Air Force backgrounds, having served in key positions within the Air Force for many years. Given the ongoing purges within the Air Force, the future of these individuals is uncertain, and they may not be immune from future issues.
With Chinese New Year just over two months away, many migrant workers have returned home early. However, some claim that due to the inability to find work, many laborers are forced to sleep on the streets and are reluctant to return home even then. For these workers, survival is no easier back in their hometowns.
In December 2025, a worker in a video said, “Dongguan East Railway Station at 2 AM, so chilly, such strong winds, I don’t even have money for a bus ride, can’t find work, can only sleep at the station. I regret coming to Dongguan, don’t know what to do, my life is so difficult.”
Many netizens point out that currently, many residents cannot find jobs and are resorting to sleeping on the streets because they understand that even if they return home, survival is uncertain. Some mention that in many households, there is nothing left.
A man in his 80s, using the pseudonym Xiao Wei, shared with Epoch Times, that his rural hometown is in Yueyang, Hunan. Due to job loss, he was forced to return home early. He stated, “It’s really hard to find work in Dongguan now. I returned home at the end of November, and there are no jobs to be found by year-end. Many factories are either relocating or closing down, causing unemployment.” He notes that there are many homeless in Dongguan, with an influx daily and departures too.
For decades, Dongguan has been a showcase for China’s economy and a hub for manufacturing. However, many factories have relocated from Dongguan. Numerous videos from netizens show that Dongguan’s former prosperity has faded, with a current state of desolation.
Recently, Mr. Yang from Baorun Leather Goods Company in Dongguan stated in a video on TikTok that four major luxury goods giants in Dongguan, including the Leitai Group with 80,000 employees, the Global Corporation with 40,000 employees, the Wiseman Company with 30,000 employees, and the Era Group with nearly 18,000 employees, have all moved to Southeast Asia. Mr. Yang’s Baorun Leather Goods had also invested 40 million yuan in Cambodia, starting a subsidiary that is now up and running. He mentioned that the reason for relocating was due to the “back and forth trade wars, with all foreign brands being afraid to place orders, fearing that if they do, tariffs might suddenly rise, leaving insufficient profits to pay the tariffs.”
Epoch Times journalists interviewed multiple laborers, each sharing their experiences:
A worker named Dongming, working in Jiangmen, Guangdong, states that despite being able to hold on for now, he is uncertain for how long. He mentions, “Many people are returning home early.” Currently, “It’s challenging to do business or find jobs. The entire market is challenging, with more people becoming unemployed in first and second-tier cities, many storefronts closing or changing ownership. A Japanese company in Zhongshan has moved away, leaving tens of thousands unemployed.”
This company being referred to is Canon from Japan. On November 21st, Canon’s sole proprietorship printer assembly factory in Zhongshan officially ceased operations and withdrew from China.
Another worker from Maoming, Guangdong, who works as a telephone customer service representative in Guangzhou, states that finding work is difficult now, with numerous people returning home daily. However, even in their hometown, good jobs are hard to come by.
Mr. Yang, who manages engineering projects in Shenzhen, mentions that with the completion of the project, all migrant workers have returned home early. But he has not received payment yet, so he has yet to return to his hometown of Zhanjiang. He says, “If I don’t get paid, I will take legal action. I am preparing to change careers. With nothing worthwhile to do now, I will do whatever comes my way.”
A worker using the alias Qing, who was previously employed in Foshan, Guangdong, became unemployed last month and couldn’t find work, thus returning to his hometown. He remarks that in Foshan, many workers like him have returned home early.
A woman named Yang from Enshi, Hubei, aged 30, divorced, is currently working in Guangdong. She has not been paid by a listed company for eight months and was forced to return home early in early December. She shares, “Now I am helping my parents with farming chores at home from 8 am to late evening, very busy and fulfilling.”
According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of the CCP on December 15th, the urban unemployment rate in China in November was 5.1%, unchanged from the previous month; the native labor force unemployment rate was 5.3%; the migrant labor force unemployment rate was 4.7%, with the agricultural migrant labor force unemployment rate at 4.4%.
Chinese issues expert Wang He notes that the CCP’s published unemployment rate is a survey-based rate, initially only examining urban households, later including migrant workers who had been employed in cities for over six months. However, this rate significantly deviates from the real unemployment rate.
American economist David Huang mentions that the so-called survey-based unemployment rate is determined by conducting surveys during working hours, neglecting those who don’t walk outside during normal work hours. Hence, this survey-based unemployment rate fails to accurately reflect the unemployment situation and holds minimal reference significance. In light of escalating economic contraction, the actual unemployment rate is likely to remain high.
Due to a large number of migrant workers returning home, on November 13th, the CCP’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs held a meeting in the Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Chuxiong, Yunnan, proposing to “prevent large-scale return to and stagnation in villages” and prevent a large-scale return to poverty due to unemployment.
Wang He explains that the majority of those working outside now are relatively young migrant workers who are unlikely to farm and cannot survive back in rural areas. Prolonged stays in rural areas may lead to becoming drifters. Currently, the CCP’s statement to prevent a return to poverty is merely surface rhetoric; its primary concern is a potential outbreak of unrest. He adds that since the CCP initially relied on farmers’ support, it is deeply apprehensive about the current situation.
On the eve of Christmas, France faced a wave of thefts. Following a burglary at the French Presidential Palace, the Élysée Palace, a warehouse of the Chinese e-commerce company JD.com in Seine-Saint-Denis, France, was robbed, resulting in an estimated loss of around 37 million euros.
According to Agence France-Presse, this week on Monday, December 22nd, a police source mentioned that the warehouse located about 17 kilometers north of Paris in Dugny was broken into. Intruders meticulously vandalized surveillance cameras at the warehouse before breaking in, clearing out over 30 warehouse shelves, seizing more than 50,000 multimedia devices, including mobile phones, computers, tablets, and headphones.
The target of this theft was the Chinese e-commerce company JD.com. Following an initial investigation by the Anti-Gang Brigade (BRB), thieves executed the robbery between Sunday night and Monday morning. Prior to the crime, they deliberately sabotaged the warehouse’s surveillance cameras, rendering the alarm system inoperable.
——《Good News Moment》Production Team