After the downfall of Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, Communist Party leader Xi Jinping inspected the information support forces of the Chinese military in Beijing on December 4th, with senior military officials in attendance. However, on December 9th, Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, He Weidong, who ranks third in the commission, was allegedly absent from a study session of the Central Political Bureau. The fact that both Miao Hua and He Weidong come from the former 31st Group Army stationed in Fujian has sparked speculation about He Weidong’s situation.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, on December 9th, the Central Political Bureau held a so-called “collective study” session on “historical frontier governance.”
Official media footage showed that General Zhang Youxia, the First Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, attended the meeting, but Vice Chairman He Weidong was conspicuously absent for reasons unknown.
Political commentator Li Lin told Dajiyuan that it was somewhat odd for He Weidong to not participate in the Central Political Bureau’s study session on frontier governance, especially considering he did not have any overseas missions at the time.
“This kind of strange occurrence may become more frequent in the future. Zhang Youxia and He Weidong may not belong to the same faction. If Zhang Youxia and Xi Jinping are not in agreement, then there would be some issues between He Weidong and Zhang Youxia because He Weidong and Xi Jinping basically belong to the same faction, thus, conflicts between them are inevitable.”
However, he noted that while Miao Hua’s downfall had occurred, it was unclear whether He Weidong would face any troubles and it remains to be seen if he will appear in the future.
Wang He, a Chinese affairs expert, told Dajiyuan that He Weidong’s absence can be interpreted as a significant signal, but it is still not definitive.
“If He Weidong did not attend this time, there are three possibilities. First, he might be ill; second, he might have urgent matters to attend to, such as a major task or overseas trip; third, it could mean that He Weidong no longer has the opportunity to attend such occasions. The Military Commission is now completely controlled by Zhang Youxia, and He Weidong has been thoroughly restrained by him.”
There is currently no news about He Weidong’s overseas visit.
Shen Mingshi, an analyst and director of the National Security Research Institute at the Taiwan Institute for National Defense Studies, noted in an interview with Dajiyuan that He Weidong’s absence from the political bureau’s study session could be due to his involvement in military exercises on the eastern front or in the planning of military exercises against Taiwan, which would be considered a more critical matter for him to focus on than attending what appears to be a less significant meeting.
Starting from December 9th to the 11th, the Chinese military announced the establishment of seven airspace reserved areas in the region east of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. In recent days, the Chinese military has continued to intensively dispatch military aircraft and vessels to provoke Taiwan.
Shen Mingshi believes that He Weidong should not have been involved in promoting Miao Hua to the position of Vice Chairman of the Military Commission because such appointments are typically decided by Xi Jinping. Miao Hua might have been recommended by He Weidong, at most, but it is unlikely that he would have bribed him.
According to Russian media reports on Wednesday (11th), Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and Chairman of the United Russia Party, arrived in China for a two-day working visit, during which he planned to meet with Chinese leaders.
During Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s visit to China in October, he met with Chinese Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia. It remains to be seen whether Medvedev will meet with He Weidong, which has drawn attention.
The official announcement on November 28th by the Communist Party of China stated that Miao Hua was “under investigation”. Miao Hua, who hails from Fujian, has long been regarded as a close ally of Xi Jinping.
On December 4th, Xi Jinping inspected the military’s information support forces. Accompanying Xi Jinping on the inspection were Vice Chairmen of the Military Commission Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, as well as commission members Liu Zhenli and Zhang Shengmin.
Both He Weidong and Miao Hua served in the forefront of the Taiwan Strait with the former 73rd Group Army (formerly the 31st Group Army), stationed in Fujian. He Weidong later served as the Commander of the Eastern Theater Command, while Miao Hua previously served as the Navy’s political commissar. Before becoming Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, He Weidong was a key figure in the Joint Operations Command Center of the Military Commission. Miao Hua’s political work system was also under the jurisdiction of He Weidong, the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission.
According to independent analyst Du Zheng’s previous analysis of factions within the Chinese military, Miao Hua and Vice Chairman He Weidong are both part of the Fujian faction, while Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Discipline Secretary Zhang Shengmin belong to the Shaanxi faction. Both Liu Zhenli, Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Military Commission, and Zhang Youxia have participated in the Vietnam War, indicating their close relationship.
A week before the news of Miao Hua’s arrest broke, former Chinese Navy Lieutenant Colonel Yao Cheng, who had disclosed the information, revealed on his social media channel on November 28th that the Central Committee for Discipline Inspection and the Military Discipline Inspection Commission had formed a joint investigation team to look into Miao Hua’s case, focusing on personnel within the Navy and the Eastern Theater Command related to Miao Hua. Former Navy Political Commissars Qin Shengxiang and Yuan Huazhi, and Defense Minister Dong Jun, had made statements unfavorable to Miao Hua. The three individuals currently reside in the Naval compound and have not been detained.
In recent days, overseas media continues to report information indicating that other high-ranking Chinese military officials, such as Rocket Force Commander Wang Houbin and Eastern Theater Commander Lin Xiangyang, may also be under investigation.