During the 20th Third Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party in July, the official media published the article “Reformist Xi Jinping,” which was later taken down, sparking rumors of a new version circulating. Japanese media pointed out that this article faced fierce criticism from political factions, including retired veterans, who criticized it for attributing the achievements of Deng Xiaoping to the Xi family, leading to the article being withdrawn. This incident may even trigger another hidden power struggle in the future.
On August 22, the 120th birth anniversary of Deng Xiaoping was commemorated with an official symposium where Xi Jinping praised Deng’s lifetime achievements, hailing him as an “outstanding leader” and emphasizing the commitment to reform and opening up. However, the debate over Xi Jinping’s relationship with Deng Xiaoping in terms of “reform” continues to be a topic of discussion.
On July 15, Xinhua News Agency published a lengthy article titled “Reformist Xi Jinping” during the Third Plenary Session, portraying Xi as the “reformer” following in Deng Xiaoping’s footsteps, labeling the so-called “new era reforms” as “Xi-style reforms.” The article praised Xi Jinping for inheriting and carrying forward Deng Xiaoping’s legacy, claiming that he has continued China’s “economic miracle.” However, the article was swiftly withdrawn during the Third Plenary Session.
An article by Katsuji Nakazawa in Nikkei Asia on August 29 highlighted that this incident reveals that the older generation of the Chinese Communist Party remains loyal to Deng Xiaoping rather than Xi Jinping.
According to Nakazawa’s article, the deletion of a piece revising Party history by Xinhua News Agency raises doubts about the internal dynamics within the CCP not being as peaceful as perceived. The praise for Xi Jinping as an outstanding reformer seemed aimed at bolstering his authority at this crucial meeting but faced intense backlash from political forces outside Xi’s camp.
The article continued, “However, behind the scenes, this article faced fierce criticism from political forces not aligned with Xi Jinping. Some within the party called the article strange and factually incorrect, while others questioned its alignment with official Party history and who approved its publication.”
Nakazawa pointed out that the backlash was especially from retired party elders and second-generation revolutionaries (“Red Princelings”), with many within the party seizing the opportunity to vent their frustrations over China’s dire economic situation.
The major contention revolved around the assertion that “reform is a tradition of the Xi family,” which faced particularly strong criticism. The article portrayed Xi Jinping and his father, Xi Zhongxun, as leading China’s reform process, implying that Xi stole the “achievements” credited to Deng Xiaoping.
Nakazawa noted that due to the severity of the backlash, Xi Jinping had no choice but to order the thorough withdrawal of the article.
Rumors and negative speculations about Xi Jinping surfaced during the Beidaihe Conference this year. Despite Xi Jinping resurfacing publicly afterwards, speculations about his health and stability of power continue unabated.
Nakazawa’s article concluded, “In the chaos, one definitive fact emerged, which is the disappearance of the Xinhua article. The political situation in China has to some extent seen changes, with developments unfolding. It remains uncertain whether this incident will lead to another hidden power struggle in the upcoming months.”
Regarding the reason for the removal of the article “Reformist Xi Jinping,” there were previous versions circulating.
On July 25, citing a “well-informed source within Beijing,” The Reporter quoted claims that the article was taken down at the behest of the head of the CCP’s Propaganda Department, Li Shulei. Allegedly, the publication of the article sparked numerous negative reactions, catching the attention of the Propaganda Department. The source attributed this to the author having a specific “agenda”: “In fact, the author definitely had opinions about Xi Jinping, believed that many of his actions were too autocratic, leading to dissatisfaction with him. Therefore, the aim of the author was to ‘praise Deng, mock Xi’ by exaggerating the ‘achievements.'”
China expert Wang He previously told The Reporter that this takedown event appears to be an internal issue within the propaganda apparatus. There were rumors of conflict between Li Shulei, the head of the CCP’s Propaganda Department, and Cai Qi, a secretary in charge of the Central Propaganda Department, indicating a possibility of tension.
“Wang He also said, ‘Xi Jinping is currently politically passive; he may be unwell. Both Li Shulei and Cai Qi are his confidants, but conflicts have arisen between the two, with many of their actions conflicting. In this situation, Xi Jinping’s thinking is wavering. It is highly likely that Xi Jinping takes a conciliatory approach (removing the article), similar to Mao Zedong’s backtracking at the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference and then finding an opportunity to make a comeback.'”