Xi’s Official Retirement Announcement Unlikely Before Next Year – Three 83-Year-Old Elders to Manage the Transition?

Chinese paramilitary police stand guard at Tiananmen Square. (China Photos/Getty Images)

[People News] Recently, foreign media have revealed alarming and 'eye-catching' details regarding the internal conflicts within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): high-ranking officials such as Li Shangfu, Wei Fenghe, and Liu Asia have reportedly been incapacitated by nerve-damaging injections; Wang Qishan has faced extensive suppression from Xi Jinping after being nominated by the princeling faction; Ding Xuexiang has been investigated, leaving him physically impaired, and his son is also under scrutiny. To maintain the appearance of unity, the CCP had him make a public appearance on the 17th to dispel rumors; former Hubei Provincial Party Secretary Jiang Chaoliang's downfall is said to be due to being a scapegoat for the Wuhan pneumonia or being implicated in Wang Qishan's suppression... If these reports are accurate, each of these individuals could be seen as a potential bomb capable of revealing the true nature of the CCP in Zhongnanhai.

Today (23rd), independent commentator Cai Shenkun shared on the X social platform and YouTube that a friend of his disclosed some content from a phone call yesterday: Xi Jinping no longer possesses any real power, and the authority of the CCP is being transitioned to three elderly men born in 1942; additionally, military power is held by Zhang Youxia, while Xi's title as Chairman of the Central Military Commission is merely nominal, and one should not trust the propaganda from military media. 'Xi Jinping's abdication is only awaiting an official announcement, likely at the Fourth Plenary Session, and it will not extend beyond next year.' Cai Shenkun stressed that he has not verified this information through other channels and it does not necessarily reflect his own views. However, the friend who contacted him has close connections with some current leaders in the country, particularly the families of past leaders, and spoke with him for an hour and a half.

In a video titled "Various People Are Advising Not to Talk About Xi Jinping Anymore, His Exit is Just a Matter of Time, But Who Really Holds the Power?" on Platform X and YouTube, Cai Shenkun stated that his friend told him: You can return to your country soon; you should not focus on Xi Jinping right now, but rather on the future of a democratic China. Currently, vested interest groups have transferred 30 trillion dollars of wealth abroad, and together with Wall Street giants in the United States, they control at least 60 trillion dollars of American wealth. If they manage to influence the political direction of China's future, the country will continue to struggle, and they need to be exposed.

Since the Third Plenary Session last July, various anomalies have emerged within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ranks, with rumors about Xi Jinping's health issues, loss of military authority, weakening of internal party power, and being reprimanded by CCP elders during the Beidaihe meeting, which has sparked intense public debate.

However, Cai Shenkun mentioned in the program that he has always been skeptical of these rumors, arguing that there are no signs indicating that Xi's power is diminishing. His friend's call suggested that the CCP's days are numbered, and that Xi Jinping's authority has been significantly weakened since the CCP's Political Work Conference in Yan'an last year. A free China, one that no longer persecutes human rights, is on the horizon. Therefore, he initially did not intend to share his friend's comments in the program, nor did he take a clear stance, implying that he remains doubtful.

The author conducted a check and found that a retired former Standing Committee member of the Politburo, born in 1942, is already 83 years old this year, including figures like Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao.

Cai Shenkun remarked that for over a decade, Xi Jinping has alienated all political factions. The interests of the red second and third generations, along with all previous interest groups associated with the Zhao family, have been jeopardized. Consequently, during the Third Plenary Session, a consensus emerged within the Communist Party of China (CPC) that Xi Jinping could no longer proceed in this manner. If he continued on this path, it could lead to dire consequences for everyone involved. He must be curtailed. As a result, three elderly figures were appointed to oversee China's political landscape during the transition period. However, do these octogenarians possess the necessary energy, wisdom, and connections to govern effectively? This news has raised skepticism among some readers.

Nonetheless, one fact is clear: following the 20th National Congress of the CPC, the Chinese economy has encountered significant challenges, and internal power struggles have escalated. In the past two years, many of Xi Jinping's close allies have been ousted, including former Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang, and Miao Hua, the head of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission.

Moreover, at least a dozen high-ranking officials from the military and defense sectors have been dismissed, including two former commanders of the Rocket Force, Li Yuchao and Zhou Yaning, as well as Zhang Zhenzhong, who previously served as the deputy commander of the Rocket Force, former Air Force commander Ding Laihang, and former Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe, among others. This series of events has dealt a significant blow to Xi Jinping's authority.

On the evening of September 30, 2024, during the reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the CPC's founding, alongside the current members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, 15 former members, including Li Ruihuan and Wen Jiabao, were also present. Li Ruihuan and Wen Jiabao were seated on either side of Xi Jinping. During his speech, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to 'resolutely uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee and centralized unified leadership,' among other points.

Independent commentator Du Zheng (杜政) previously expressed in Taiwan's "Shang Pao" that following Xi Jinping's (習近平) assumption of a third term, the country is experiencing chaotic governance, leading to a severe economic crisis and heightened political tensions in Beijing. Both the Communist Party and Xi have become focal points of criticism from both within and outside the system, with anti-Xi and anti-Communist sentiments emerging as mainstream public opinion in China. The Xi-led Communist Party lacks a long-term institutional foundation for its rule, and the idea of dictatorship could be swiftly challenged.