The funeral of former Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission, Xu Qiliang, was held on June 8, with several unusual occurrences throughout the mourning process drawing public attention. Experts believe that these anomalies at the heart of the CCP’s power center indicate the intensity of internal struggles within the party, with growing evidence suggesting Xi Jinping’s diminishing power.
At 75 years old, Xu Qiliang’s cause of death and the date of his passing had been subject to various conflicting reports earlier. The funeral process following his death also exhibited several peculiarities.
Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Studies researcher Shen Mingshi told reporters that as Xu Qiliang, who came from the Air Force, held the position of Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission before retiring in 2023, “it should have been the Central Military Commission that organized the funeral.” However, it appeared that it was “delegated to the Air Force, giving a sense of diminishing status,” which was the first strange aspect.
“Perhaps the reason why the Central Military Commission was not involved could be attributed to situations like Xi Jinping losing power and the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, being unwilling to handle such matters, hence it was passed to the Air Force. I believe this possibility exists.”
Shen Mingshi pointed out another peculiar aspect, noting that the official Chinese media mentioned the name of former CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao in their coverage of Xu Qiliang’s funeral, stating, “To actually write out his name is quite unusual.”
An Xinhua News Agency report on June 8 mentioned that during Xu Qiliang’s illness and after his passing, “Comrades Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Han Zheng, Hu Jintao and other comrades visited the hospital to offer their condolences to Comrade Xu Qiliang and expressed deep sympathy to his family through various forms.”
Shen Mingshi believed that while it’s normal to have the names of seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee along with Vice President Han Zheng included, the addition of Hu Jintao’s name signifies a level of power dominance, indicating that Hu Jintao might be the one truly in control, hence the necessity for his name to be included.
American current affairs commentator Li Linyi had a different perspective on Hu Jintao’s inclusion, stating, “People like Xi Jinping and Hu Jintao laying wreaths is just a formality. The real power is not in their hands, so the true scenario will likely reveal itself with time, and perhaps other internal messages may surface.”
Another strange element noted by Shen Mingshi was that while all members of the Central Political Bureau sent wreaths with their names included, Deputy Chairman of the CCP’s Central Military Commission, He Weidong, was notably absent.
He Weidong is the current Deputy Chairman of the CCP’s Central Military Commission and a close aide of Xi Jinping, yet he had ‘disappeared’ following the conclusion of the “Two Sessions” in March this year.
Rumors have been circulating recently suggesting He Weidong has been put under house arrest, and there have been speculations of his alleged death back in early May. Other rumors claim He Weidong is currently working quietly in Fujian to plan military actions against Taiwan.
Shen Mingshi stated that as long as He Weidong is alive and the CCP doesn’t want to fuel speculations about his current status, there should at least be a wreath with his name included among those dedicated to Xu Qiliang, also to be arranged in order of the Political Bureau members.
“There were rumors recently that He Weidong committed suicide, making it seem like it’s becoming a fact now,” Shen Mingshi said. “It’s hard to tell whether He Weidong is alive, dead, or did indeed commit suicide.”
By connecting all the abnormal occurrences together, Shen Mingshi observed that from Xu Qiliang’s funeral, it’s evident that “there are truly unusual events unfolding within the CCP.”
Li Linyi also acknowledged that following Xu Qiliang’s passing, “some very strange situations have arisen,” such as the low profile of his funeral and the simplicity of his memorial hall, yet the official CCP evaluation of Xu Qiliang was remarkably high, indicating inherent contradictions.
“This indicates that the power struggle within the CCP is extremely intense, leading to various anomalies such as the murky circumstances surrounding Xu Qiliang’s death and the abnormal language used in his posthumous evaluations, all hinting at heightened internal strife within the CCP.”
“This chaos is also a result of Xi Jinping losing power at the core of the CCP,” Li Linyi added. “Currently, it is imperative to monitor the actions of Zhang Youxia, who has full military authority, and former premier Wen Jiabao, a key elder statesman representative.”
Shen Mingshi mentioned a rumor suggesting that in the face of declining influence, Xi Jinping might seek to leverage Xu Qiliang’s forces for a counterattack, only to be preempted by the current First Vice Chairman of the CCP’s Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia.
“While not necessarily factual, it’s apparent that numerous events are unfolding, indicating that until the Fourth Plenum settles everything, the power struggle remains ongoing,” Shen Mingshi stated.
According to Shen Mingshi, the current situation suggests that due to Xi Jinping’s extensive purges of undesirables over his three terms, these sidelined individuals are now seeking retribution, particularly Zhang Youxia, who “was almost replaced by Xi Jinping due to the Li Shangfu incident.”
Li Shangfu, the former Chinese Defense Minister, fell out of favor in 2023 and was later reported by official CCP channels to have accepted substantial bribes, undermining military equipment construction.
“Therefore, Zhang Youxia has allied with the elders and some old military heads in a counterattack against Xi Jinping. This rationale is somewhat reasonable,” Shen Mingshi concluded.
He added, “At present, it seems that Xi Jinping lacks the ability to suppress or quell the forces looking to counterattack him, showing more and more evidence of Xi Jinping losing his sway.”
(End of the article)