Recently, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping led a delegation to Xinjiang for an event, where the absence of the commander and political commissar of the Xinjiang Military Region sparked speculation.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, on the afternoon of September 23, Xi Jinping led the central delegation to attend the 70th anniversary celebration of Xinjiang.
On the same afternoon, Xi Jinping met with colonel-level and above leaders of the troops stationed in Urumqi and some of the soldiers for a group photo. In the photo, General Li Lin and General Yang Cheng, former commander and political commissar of the Xinjiang Military Region, were absent. Xi was seated on the left side with accompanying member of the Central Military Commission, Liu Zhenli, and on the right side appeared to be former Airborne Troops Commander Wen Dong.
Last November, Xi Jinping had inspected the Airborne Troops headquarters in Hubei. Reports indicate that the commander at that time was Major General Wen Dong.
Analyst Li Lin speculated that the absence of General Li Lin and General Yang Cheng from important events involving Xi Jinping may suggest that the two have been removed from their positions, and it is unclear if this is related to the incident involving Ma Xingrui.
According to the Xinjiang Daily, on January 14 of this year, the 13th session of the 8th Xinjiang Military Region Party Committee (expanded) meeting was held. Ma Xingrui, the then Secretary of the Autonomous Region Party Committee and the first Secretary of the Xinjiang Military Region Party Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Yang Cheng, the then Secretary of the Xinjiang Military Region Party Committee and Political Commissar, presented a report on behalf of the Military Region Party Committee Standing Committee. Li Lin, the then Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Military Region Party Committee and Commander, also gave a speech.
Ma Xingrui was removed from the position of Secretary of the Xinjiang Party Committee on July 1 this year, with official statements mentioning his “appointment to another position.” At 66 years old, Ma Xingrui’s premature departure from office has aroused speculation about his political future. He was considered to be one of Xi Jinping’s key confidants.
Official announcements regarding changes in the Xinjiang Military Region commander and political commissar have not been made.
In the past two years, power struggles within the Chinese Communist Party’s military have intensified, with many senior leaders falling out of favor without public disclosure. On August 20, when Xi Jinping met with colonel-level and above leaders of the troops stationed in Lhasa, Tibet Military Region Commander Wang Kai was absent from the event, leading to assumptions of his downfall. Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, He Waidong, has not been seen since the Two Sessions in March this year, with rumors of an investigation being conducted.