On January 24th, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, and Military Commission member Liu Zhenli were officially announced to have fallen from power. The CCP Military Newspaper harshly criticized the two on the front page on the first day after the announcement. The second day’s front page article seemingly hinted at the two individuals, while on the third and fourth day, there were no articles related to Zhang and Liu, leading to ridicule from netizens.
On January 24th, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson announced that Zhang Youxia and Military Commission member Liu Zhenli were placed under “investigation”.
On the 25th, the CCP Military Newspaper published an article on the front page titled “Resolutely Win the Anti-Corruption Struggle in the Military – Upholding the Overall and Persistent Battle”, criticizing Zhang and Liu for “seriously trampling and damaging the Chairman’s responsibility system of the Military Commission” and calling on “all officers and soldiers to firmly support the decisions of the Central Committee”. However, as of now, from the Military Commission to various theaters and services, there has been no public stance from any military unit in support of “the Central Committee’s handling of Zhang Youxia”.
On the 26th, the CCP Military Newspaper published another commentary on the front page titled “Forever Sounding the ‘Charge Horn'”, emphasizing that “identity does not exempt from liability, and merits are not a warrant for absolution”. It listed the executions of several so-called “heroes” such as Liu Qingshan, Zhang Zishan, Xie Busheng, Xiao Yubi, and Huang Kegong in the past by the CCP, without mentioning Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. However, some observers believed there was an implicit reference to Zhang and Liu.
By the 27th, the military newspaper discussed “military oil supply guarantee” on the front page, and only addressed “technological anti-corruption” on the second page.
Beijing senior media figure Gao Yu summarized on X platform on the 27th that the military newspaper’s critique of Zhang and Liu’s “political issues” on the 25th had stirred domestic and international reactions; the article on the 26th had a strong start but a weak finish; and the article on the 27th amounted to “do whatever you want to do”. The three days of changes reminded people of the idiom story of “Cao Gui discussing war” (referring to the military theory of “make progress in one go, then weaken, and finally exhaust”).
Gao Yu stated, “The decline in the propaganda’s effectiveness is unprecedented. The leading military newspaper can only stop its activities.” Earlier, she also mentioned that by the 26th, “None of the CCP official media have mentioned Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli again”.
It was discovered by reporters from Dajiyuan that by the 28th, the military newspaper only discussed “prevention and control of new and hidden corruption” in the headlines.
The continued weak voice of the CCP Military Newspaper has sparked ridicule from the public.
Some netizens commented on Gao Yu’s post, saying: “It ends in failure.”
Some netizens said that this propaganda offensive is a typical case of “starting high but ending low”. On the first day, they used the “five serious violations” to ignite public opinion, attempting to stop the bleeding with political pressure; on the second day, they sought justice in the historical records, avoiding discussing the “giant tiger” before them, which exposed the lack of confidence within the system when facing structural collapse. By the third day, the daily reports without any significant noise precisely proved that the “charge horn” was just a ritual performed for superiors, rather than a real courage to face the sore. Cao Gui discussing war talks about courage, but what the military newspaper portrayed in these three days was the “withdrawal of courage”.
Shen Mingshi, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security Studies, told Dajiyuan that the CCP Military Newspaper had been vigorously condemning Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli since the first day of their downfall, attempting to legitimize the arrest behavior; on the second day, they mentioned five previous individuals who were executed, highlighting their own legitimacy in anti-corruption efforts; but after the third day, it turned into routine reporting, further proving that this arrest of Zhang Youxia lacks legitimacy and legitimacy, both in terms of criminal evidence and action, and hidden factors of future political turmoil and instability in the military are also exposed.
Signs indicate that there is still a struggle within the CCP, and the struggle surrounding the “arrest of Zhang Youxia” seems unresolved.
On the 28th, Dajiyuan exclusively reported that multiple sources close to the Chinese military revealed that after the investigation of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli by the CCP authorities, several directives issued by the Central Military Commission to the military at the grassroots level faced widespread resistance. Among them, at least two documents issued by the General Office of the Central Military Commission to major theaters and group armies were not implemented, military orders circulated in the military, and the Chinese military’s operational status showed rare anomalies.
(Previous report:
【Exclusive】After Zhang Youxia’s downfall, no one executes military orders)