China: As opacity reigns over Middle Kingdom, Xi Jinping’s weakness gets revealed

What is cooking in China? Anything happening in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is of interest to India.

On 14 July, Tibet Radio and Television reported that Wang Junzheng, the Party boss in Tibet met Jiang Jianguo, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The visit could have passed unnoticed, if it was not for one member of the delegation, General Zhao Zongqi, the ‘father’ of the Doklam and Ladakh confrontations, who was present. After having served in Tibet for some 20 years, for nearly five years Zhao had been commander of the Western Theater Command overlooking the entire northern border of India.

Zhao had disappeared in one of these post-retirement appointments (as a member of an obscure Parliamentary Committee of the National People’s Congress), but now he was back in Tibet in a new avatar, as a member of CPPCC Standing Committee. Though he was listed No.3 in the delegation from Beijing, what was striking in the TV program was that Gen Zhao was in full uniform with three-stars on the shoulder.

He listened to Wang Junzheng lecturing him on the present situation in Tibet “presenting a thriving and vibrant scene”, but the question remains: What was Gen Zhao doing in uniform on the Roof of the World more than two and half years after his retirement? This is certainly not a good omen for the peace and tranquillity of the Indian borders.

The Rocket Force saga

Then, the PLA Rocket Force; the rumour mill on Chinese (and Taiwanese) social media noted that the Commander and Deputy Commanders of the PLARF were in deep trouble.

When Xi Jinping undertook reforms in the PLA at the end of 2015, the Second Artillery Force, looking after China’s strategic missile force, was renamed PLA Rocket Force (PLARF), it was made responsible for China’s tactical and strategic missile force, including nuclear missiles.

On 6 July, Lt Gen Wu Guohua, the deputy commander of the Force allegedly died; some reports said that he was purged by Xi Jinping. Although he was suspected to have committed suicide, official information just mentioned a ‘brain hemorrhage’.

Lt Gen Wu passed away at a time President Xi Jinping (also Chairman of the Central Military Commission) was on a visit to the Eastern Theater Command, lecturing the troops to be ready for war.

The US based blogger Jennifer Zeng added that Wu’s boss, Gen Li Yuchao, the PLARF Commander, had been taken away by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) for investigations.

Another source, Yao Cheng, a former Chinese colonel, tweeted on 29 June that “Li Yuchao, was taken away from his office on the morning of the previous day!” The same officer alleged: “Reports suggest that Li Yuchao’s son is studying in the United States, where he is feared to have sold China’s military secrets.” No confirmation has officially come as yet.

Further, Lt Gen Zhang Zhenzhong, former deputy commander of the PLARF and current Deputy Chief of Staff of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department appeared also to be under the scanner.

Other names of officers who have been purged also circulated.

The collapse of the ‘empire’

What is worrying is that President Xi Jinping recently expressed concerns about the potential collapse of the Communist Party of China (CCP) with millions renouncing their affiliation to the Party.

Greek City Times reported that at the SCO summit, “Xi told SCO members that he was opposed to any country’s instigation of ‘colour revolutions’ and ‘interference in internal matters’. [SCO> should be wary of the ‘external forces’ creating a scenario for the new cold war and creating confrontational camps.”

In 2022, Xi Jinping had delivered a speech to a young cadre training class, which was later published in Seeking Truth, the CCP’s journal.

In his speech, Xi Jinping expressed his concern about the potential collapse of the CCP. He emphasised the significance of adhering to the principles of Marxism and Communism within the context of Chinese characteristics. He warned that deviating from these beliefs could lead to a similar disintegration as in the Soviet Union.

According to Greek City, the CCP was becoming increasingly “worried due to a combination of China’s worsening internal and external issues, as well as its growing competition with the international community. China is facing various challenges on both the economic and social fronts”.

During his visit to the Eastern Theater Command, Xi stated the need for the PLA to strengthen their ideological beliefs.

The Times of India commented: “The question that arises is about the need to reiterate loyalty from cadres and from the PLA continuously. The spate of disappearances and departures clearly indicates there’s trouble brewing within the party and the military. …problems around disloyalty or not following Xi’s command in letter and spirit are clearly beginning to show in China.”

What is certain is that there are many Zhao Zongqis waiting for their time; can the ’emperor’ keep a tab on them? That is the real question.

Qin Gang disappears

In the meantime, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has disappeared. CNN observed: “An unusually long absence during a busy period of diplomatic activity in Beijing, sparking intense speculation in a country known for its political opaqueness.”

Opaqueness is the common denominator of all the recent events taking place in the Middle Kingdom today.

Qin, 57, who earlier served as one of the spokespersons of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (he was one of the young ‘wolf warriors’) was trusted enough by Xi Jinping to be promoted as foreign minister on 30 December, after a brief stint as ambassador to the United States.

Qin brilliantly started his tenure by strongly denying any wrong from Beijing after the US-China bilateral relations plunged to low ebb in the aftermath of a Chinese spy balloon shot down over the US.

Mid-June, he had met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Beijing. Was a rapprochement in the anvil?

In his last public appearance, Qin was seen with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, who had come to Beijing to explain to Chinese officials the Wagner mercenary group insurrection in Russia.

When asked about Qin’s absence, one spokesperson after a long silence, said ‘next question’.

Reuters was told during a briefing that Qin could not attend the ASEAN meeting ‘because of health reasons’. This was later deleted from the official transcript.

London’s Times newspaper mentioned rumours that Qin was currently under investigation for having an affair with Phoenix TV anchor Fu Xiaotian, suspected to be a double agent. Phoenix Television is a Chinese state-owned broadcaster based in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Qin would have fathered a baby to Fu Xiaotian who according to some observers had links to British intelligence.

The ‘baby’ story is very unconvincing, because it is doubtful that the Chinese intelligence agencies would have cleared the affair between the minister and a TV anchor, without discreetly stopping his promotion to his high-profile job.

The return of Wang Yi

Interestingly, diplomatic activities were carried out as usual …by Wang Yi, the senior-most diplomat and member of the politburo.

Apart from a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in early July which was cancelled after the EU stated that the dates were ‘no longer possible’, everything else went on as if nothing had happened; high-profile visits by US officials such as Janet Yellen and John Kerry (or even 100-year old Henry Kissinger) took place with Wang Yi, who is Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, in attendance.

Wang Yi appeared at an annual foreign ministers’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indonesia where he refuted the South China Sea arbitration and the freedom of navigation mentioned by most of the countries.

Now he is scheduled to attend the 13th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in Johannesburg, South Africa from 24 to 25 July, and then visit Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Türkiye.

This multitude of encounters is surprising from someone of his seniority. Was he missing his old job?

As opacity reigns over the Middle Kingdom, we may never know the details of these stories, but it undoubtedly shows the weakness of Xi Jinping’s position; the ‘emperor’ seems incapable of controlling his troops. It is ominous if a person like Zhao Zongqi comes back on the centre stage.

Incidentally, Lobsang Gyalsten, the senior most Tibetan in the Tibet Autonomous Region, a member of the Central Committee, has not been seen for the last three months. Another mystery!

The writer is Distinguished Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (Delhi). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ 

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