On the 23rd anniversary of the passing of Xi Jinping’s father and Chinese Communist Party elder Xi Zhongxun on May 24th, the Guanzhong Revolution Memorial Hall in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province was opened with low-key official coverage. Though the exhibits primarily focus on commemorating Xi Zhongxun, his name was not included in the name of the museum. Amid recent rumors of Xi Jinping losing power, this situation has sparked speculation.
The report by Xinhua News Agency on the opening day was brief, with a mention that the exhibits showcased Xi Zhongxun’s so-called revolutionary career.
Xi Jinping’s father, Xi Zhongxun, was born in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province in 1913 and passed away on May 24, 2002, with his ashes buried in his hometown of Fuping County.
The pro-Beijing Lianhe Zaobao noted that while the memorial hall was not named after Xi Zhongxun but rather named after the region as “Guanzhong,” analysts believe that since the hall is located in Xi Zhongxun’s hometown of Fuping County, and the opening day coincided with the anniversary of Xi Zhongxun’s passing, the memorial hall is primarily established to commemorate Xi Zhongxun.
On May 28, overseas scholar Wu Zuolai posted a screenshot of Xinhua News Agency’s news, questioning whether the Xi Zhongxun Memorial Hall has been renamed the Guanzhong Revolution Memorial Hall. This development raised questions about a possible shift in the situation.
Political commentator Chen Pokong analyzed in a video program a day earlier that the overall trend is turning unfavorable for Xi Jinping. The memorial hall for Xi Zhongxun was planned by both of Xi Jinping’s brothers for a long time. Xi Jinping’s younger brother, Xi Yuanping, reportedly had been active in Shaanxi, praising their father, but local residents were surprised when the hall was opened as it was unexpectedly renamed. Originally intended to be named the Xi Zhongxun Memorial Hall, it was instead opened without Xi Zhongxun’s name, using the Guanzhong Revolution Memorial Hall.
This renaming was seen as a last-minute decision likely due to internal party opposition. The planning and construction of such a memorial hall, dedicated to Xi Zhongxun, would have taken many years during Xi Jinping’s peak in power. The content prepared inside would have been mostly related to Xi Zhongxun, with little or no mention of others. The internal opposition’s reason being, who is Xi Zhongxun?
According to mainland Baidu, Fuping County already has a Xi Zhongxun Memorial Hall situated in Dancun Town, Fuping County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, which was inaugurated on April 5, 2006. However, the memorial hall is a simple one-story residential-style building with facilities like a reception room, screening room, and five exhibition rooms.
Current affairs commentator Li Lin explained to Dajiyuan that the existing Xi Zhongxun Memorial Hall in Fuping is a common practice among various CCP leaders, where a simple memorial hall is set up at their former residence. The newly opened Guanzhong Revolution Memorial Hall was likely originally intended to include Xi Zhongxun’s name, such as “Xi Zhongxun Revolution Memorial Hall”, hence the possibility of the last-minute removal of Xi Zhongxun’s name. The low-key official coverage may also be due to the sensitivity of the matter.
A similar incident occurred last July during the Third Plenum when Xinhua News Agency published a feature titled “Reformer Xi Jinping,” which was subsequently entirely pulled down the next day.
An article by Katsuji Nakazawa in Nikkei Asia hinted that a strong backlash from political forces not aligned with Xi Jinping’s camp immediately followed the publication suggested that it was Xi and his father who had driven China’s reform process, not Deng Xiaoping. Some critics found the article strange, contrary to facts and official party history, particularly retiring party veterans and the “red second generation”. Critics may believe that Xi Jinping is taking credit for the “achievements” of reform that Deng Xiaoping initiated.
Recent speculation indicates that Xi Jinping’s military authority has been marginalized by Vice Chairman of the Military Commission Zhang Youxia, leading to unprecedented fierce power struggles within the top ranks of the CCP.
Informed sources informed Dajiyuan that while Xi Jinping may still hold a semblance of power, the tide has turned against him, with Wen Jiabao, Zhang Youxia, and others becoming key players influencing China’s political landscape.
Various signs suggest that Xi Jinping is rapidly losing his grip on power, with his appointed personnel across different sectors being purged.
On April 2, the CCP officially confirmed the swapping of roles between the Director of the United Front Work Department, Shi Taifeng, and the Head of the Organization Department, Li Ganjie. Many observers see this exchange of roles among members of the Political Bureau as unprecedented in CCP history, especially with Li Ganjie, Xi Jinping’s key personnel manager, suddenly being removed from his position, signaling Xi Jinping’s loss of control over personnel matters.
Simultaneously, Xi Jinping’s allies in the military have been either investigated or gone missing. Among them, Political Commissar of the Central Military Commission Miao Hua was placed under investigation last November, while Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission He Weidong has been missing since the end of this year’s March NPC session.