Intense Infighting: Series of Mysterious Deaths of High-ranking Chinese Communist Officials

In recent years, there has been a series of intense power struggles within the top echelons of the Chinese Communist Party, with dangerous signs appearing frequently and incidents of abnormal deaths involving high-ranking officials.

Some of these deaths may have been suicides, while others are highly suspicious, even possibly involving forced suicides.

Today, based on public reports from both domestic and international sources, we will provide a brief overview of some abnormal deaths of party, government, and military officials in recent years.

On May 24, 2025, Chinese political commentator Cai Shenkun, who is currently in the United States, revealed that he received the latest information suggesting that General He Weidong, a close confidant of Xi Jinping and a member of the CCP’s Politburo and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, who was taken away by the military discipline inspection commission on March 11, had passed away on May 2 at the 301 Hospital. The details surrounding He Weidong’s death, whether it was sudden or due to other reasons, were not disclosed by Cai Shenkun.

The authenticity of this information is yet to be verified.

On May 19, 2025, Cai Shenkun posted on social media platform X that, according to a source from Beijing, Lieutenant General He Hongjun, the Deputy Head of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, took his own life during the military discipline inspection and despite emergency rescue efforts at the 301 Hospital, he passed away on the afternoon of May 18.

Whether He Hongjun has indeed died is still awaiting verification. However, if he did commit suicide during the inspection, the circumstances would be more suspicious, as individuals under inspection are usually held in rooms without windows and access to sharp objects is restricted.

On November 28, 2017, Xinhua News Agency reported that former member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, Zhang Yang, “died by hanging at home” on November 23.

It was reported that Zhang Yang had been under “organizational talks” since August 28 due to his involvement in corruption cases related to former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Guo Boxiong, and Xu Caihou. During this period, Zhang Yang resided “at home.”

On the same day, the PLA Daily published an article stating that “Zhang Yang committed suicide out of fear.” The article criticized Zhang Yang for having “two faces, one in public and one in private, shouting loyalty on the surface while engaging in corruption behind the scenes, a typical ‘two-faced person’,” and used multiple phrases such as “lost” and “stained” to describe Zhang Yang, accusing him of using suicide to escape party discipline and legal punishment, calling his actions extremely despicable.

On October 16, 2018, almost a year after his death, Zhang Yang was expelled from the party, stripped of his military ranks, and posthumously demoted from the rank of general.

Xinhua’s report stated that Zhang Yang had “severely damaged the cause of the party and the military, seriously tarnishing the image of military political work and leadership cadres.”

This incident sparked numerous speculations. Some said Zhang Yang chose this ending under pressure, while others believed he might have been trying to evade even harsher consequences. Regardless of the truth, the once illustrious general ended his life in such a manner, evoking sighs of regret.

On July 27, 2023, The Paper reported that on July 4, Wu Guohua, former Deputy Commander of the Rocket Force, passed away in Beijing after medical treatment proved ineffective. The original article from The Paper was deleted after being republished by numerous mainland media outlets.

A few days later, Zhang Xiaoyang, a major general and the son of former Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Zhen, claimed in his social circle that Wu Guohua had taken his own life in the third-floor restroom of his home.

The passing of Wu Guohua was not reported by Xinhua News Agency, and there were no reports of any Central Military Commission leaders visiting Wu Guohua’s home to offer condolences, showing an unusually low-key response.

Wu Guohua’s departure coincided with an internal investigation into a major case within the Rocket Force. Speculation arose that his choice may have been related to these investigations. After all, having retired for three years, living in a spacious villa and enjoying top-notch medical care, his life should have been worry-free. What led him to this point? Was it internal struggles, feeling his problems were too severe, or wanting to protect his former leaders, or external pressures? These questions remain unanswered.

On December 11, 2024, the official website of the Chinese General Administration of Customs published an obituary announcing the passing of Yu Jianhua, the Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Administration, due to sudden illness and failed rescue efforts.

What raised suspicions was that on the same day of his passing, he had been holding work meetings with local leaders in the morning, showing no signs of unusual behavior.

More oddly, related reports were quickly removed, with only a few print media outlets leaving traces due to the lack of time to make changes. Online, there were allegations that Yu Jianhua had taken his own life in his office, using a gun.

Some prominent media figures suggested that Yu Jianhua’s suicide might have been related to the billions spent on the Smart Customs project and the arrest of a former director at the General Administration of Customs.

In September 2018, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Sun Yuning, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs, was under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law. Some commentators believed that Yu Jianhua’s death could be linked to Sun Yuning’s investigation.

Yu Jianhua’s abrupt departure after barely two years in his new position inevitably led to speculation about potentially complex relationships behind the scenes.

It was said that Yu Jianhua’s backer was Ding Xuexiang, and there may have been a flow of benefits between Yu and Ding. Ding Xuexiang is the youngest member of the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee and Executive Vice Premier of the State Council. Yu’s choice to end his own life might have been to protect Ding.

This is the result of the infighting between the “Fujian Gang” led by CCP Politburo Standing Committee Cai Qi in the “Xi Family Army” and the “New Jiangsu Gang” led by Ding Xuexiang in the “Xi Family Army”.

On November 3, 2019, at 11:00 PM, Ren Xuefeng, the Deputy Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, passed away due to ineffective medical treatment, at the age of 54.

An online obituary circulated claiming that Ren Xuefeng had actually passed away on October 31, 2019, coinciding with the closing of the Fourth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

At the time of his death, Ren Xuefeng, at only 54 years old, appeared healthy with a glowing complexion from photos. He was the third highest-ranking official in the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and the youngest, having studied in the United States. Rumors had it that he was highly skilled and even considered a potential successor to the Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee.

Doubts were raised regarding whether he truly died of illness. Some claimed he “fell from a building,” while others suspected he may have been “forced to commit suicide.”

The reasons behind Ren Xuefeng’s departure were said to be due to conflicts with Chen Min’er, the Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, issues related to a project in Guangzhou, and disagreements with Xi’s Cultural Revolution tactics.

On April 27, 2023, the WeChat public account “Zhong Jing Zhong Cheng” published an obituary announcing that Wang Shaojun, the former Director of the Central Security Bureau, had passed away in Beijing one day earlier. However, this news was quickly censored, with the clickable links showing that the content was not accessible due to violation of regulations.

It was only three months later, on July 24, 2023, that Xinhua News Agency finally announced that Wang Shaojun had “died due to ineffective medical treatment” on April 26 in Beijing, at the age of 67.

Why did the Chinese Communist Party censor the obituary from “Zhong Jing Zhong Cheng”? Why did Xinhua News Agency delay the announcement of Wang Shaojun’s death? Why did it take nearly three months for the official news of Wang Shaojun’s passing to be released?

As a key figure responsible for high-level security work, Wang Shaojun held many unknown secrets. His discreet departure, delayed official announcement, and subsequent speculations make people wonder. Some speculate that he may have been involved in complex power struggles, while others believe his departure may have even been a case of “silencing.”

On October 27, 2023, Li Keqiang, former member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee and Premier of the State Council, suddenly passed away in Shanghai at the age of 68.

This news came as a surprise to many. Li Keqiang had retired only seven months prior, was the youngest among retired members of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, and had the best healthcare facilities available.

What puzzled many was that following a heart attack, Li Keqiang was not immediately taken to the Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital, known for its high-level cardiovascular emergency care, but to Shuguang Hospital affiliated with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This hospital mainly specializes in preventive healthcare, respiratory medicine, among others, but not cardiovascular diseases.

After Li Keqiang’s passing, prominent commentator Li Chengpeng wrote on X platform: “He is gone. Beside him was Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital, with a 96% success rate in rescuing heart attacks and had saved tens of thousands of patients. Do you believe a top national official would lose to that 4%?”

Gu Wanming, the former head of the Guangdong branch of Xinhua News Agency, who publicly questioned the cause of Li Keqiang’s death, was sentenced to one year in prison by the Chinese Communist Party for “provocation.”

Li Keqiang’s “sudden death” and the subsequent unusual actions by the Chinese authorities raise significant doubts: was Li Keqiang “silenced”?

Internal power struggles have been a norm within the Chinese Communist Party, which adheres to the philosophy of struggle. “Cruel struggles and ruthless blows” are typical of internal power struggles within the CCP. Those who seem to be thriving today may become prisoners tomorrow.

Mao Zedong defeated a number of his political enemies, including his personally chosen successors Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao. Deng Xiaoping successively removed three Party leaders, Hua Guofeng, Hu Yaobang, and Zhao Ziyang. Jiang Zemin brought down Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Yang Shangkun and the Yang brothers. Xi Jinping, in his 13-year tenure, has been engaged in continual internal struggles, dealing with over 750 high-ranking officials.

As of today, it seems like the focus of the internal power struggles within the CCP leadership is shifting towards Xi Jinping. What will be the outcome of Xi in this power struggle? Feel free to share your opinions in the comment section.