On March 19, while touring Lijiang, Xi Jinping hesitated over the pronunciation of "Bu Nong Ling" due to his low level of education and fear of misreading the characters. (Screenshot composite from video)
[People News] Following the unusual conclusion of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Two Sessions, more rumors have surfaced in Beijing. As usual, the CCP leader has been conducting inspections across different regions, visiting Guizhou and Yunnan. However, unlike previous years, this time, his destinations were mainly tourist attractions, making the visits seem more like leisure trips than official inspections. Unlike in past years, the CCP leader did not hold meetings with neighboring provincial officials, nor did he summon Premier Li Qiang and other top officials for briefings. Furthermore, significant "red propaganda" sites were conspicuously absent from his itinerary. Even when he met representatives of the military in Kunming, no vice chairman or members of the Central Military Commission accompanied him, making the meeting seem more symbolic than substantive. Has the CCP leader lost his “core” status and decided to step back from governing?
Tourist Site Inspections?
According to Xinhua News Agency, from March 17 to 18, Xi Jinping visited Guizhou, accompanied by Guizhou Party Secretary Xu Lin and Governor Li Bingjun. However, Xi only made one physical inspection—at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Qiandongnan Prefecture, a well-known tourist attraction.
Zhaoxing Dong Village has transformed from a remote ethnic minority settlement into a commercialized tourist hotspot. Reports indicate that in 2024, the village received 1.02 million tourists—an average of 8,500 per month or approximately 2,833 per day, with fluctuations depending on the season. The village itself has only 1,273 households, highlighting the intensity of tourism activity.
Xi’s visit was met with a staged welcome: villagers were instructed to gather at the village entrance and sing upon his arrival. He then toured the streets, observing the scenery and local shops, with "supporting actors" playing their part. Reports suggest that prior to his visit, rehearsals took place, and on the actual day, the streets were likely cleared of regular tourists for security reasons.
State media reports mention that on March 17, Xi visited the village, and on March 18, he went to the provincial capital, Guiyang, for a work briefing. However, there is no mention of any other on-site inspections in Guiyang.
A six-and-a-half-minute report on CCTV devoted about half its runtime to Xi’s visit to Zhaoxing Dong Village. The remainder of the report covered Guizhou’s big data center, a logistics hub, and agricultural industries such as tea, traditional Chinese medicine, cold-water fish farming, and poultry. However, Xi did not physically visit these places.
From March 19 to 20, Xi visited Yunnan, accompanied by Yunnan Party Secretary Wang Ning and Governor Wang Yubo. His first stop was the renowned Lijiang tourist area, which is even more famous than Zhaoxing Dong Village. Many people choose to stay in Lijiang for extended periods.
Xinhua reported that Xi learned about the history of Lijiang Ancient Town’s construction, the architectural features of Naxi minority residences, and local culture. Naturally, another staged welcome was arranged, complete with music and singing. Later, Xi inspected a flower industry park in Lijiang, marking the only visit to an economic entity during his tour.
The next day, Xi attended a work briefing in Kunming and visited Dianchi Lake to learn about environmental conservation efforts. With that, his tour of Yunnan and Guizhou concluded. The trip mainly involved visits to three tourist attractions, two briefings, and a formal meeting with military representatives in Kunming.
This inspection trip was notably leisurely, perhaps reflecting that Xi, having lost his “core” status, is no longer interested in governing. His tour stood in stark contrast to the more work-oriented inspections conducted by Premier Li Qiang and others.
Has Li Qiang Taken Back Control Over the Economy?
According to Xinhua, while Xi was on his tour, both Premier Li Qiang and Politburo Standing Committee member Li Xi also left Beijing for inspections. From March 18 to 20, Li Qiang conducted an inspection in Fujian, visiting Anta Group, Jinjiang International Land Port, a cross-border e-commerce service center in Shishi, Taikoo Aircraft Engineering in Xiamen, and Meitu, a tech company. Compared to Xi’s relaxed itinerary, Li Qiang’s inspection appeared much more hands-on.
Li also hosted a symposium with foreign trade companies, acknowledging that the "current foreign trade situation is complex and severe" and urging efforts to "face various uncertainties head-on."
This apparent shift suggests a significant change in the dynamic between Xi and Li following the Two Sessions. In 2023 and 2024, immediately after the Two Sessions, Xi led inspections in Hebei and Hunan, summoning Li Qiang and Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to his side. However, in 2025, Xi’s trip to Yunnan and Guizhou did not include the usual roundtable discussions, nor did he summon Li Qiang or other top officials. Meanwhile, Li Qiang independently traveled to Fujian, Xi’s political stronghold, to conduct inspections and hold meetings.
Xi’s tourism-like inspections starkly contrast with Li Qiang’s focused economic visits. This could indicate that Xi has lost his grip on economic policymaking, while Li Qiang has reclaimed control and no longer takes direct orders from him.
Xinhua also reported that from March 17 to 20, Politburo Standing Committee member Li Xi visited Jiangxi, inspecting JMC Group’s Fushan factory, Jiangzhong Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Base, Jiangxi Copper’s High-Tech Industrial Park, and several rural areas. His itinerary, like Li Qiang’s, was structured and work-focused, further emphasizing the performative nature of Xi’s inspections.
During his trip, Li Xi reiterated slogans about "establishing and safeguarding Xi’s core leadership" and promoting "Chinese-style modernization." However, Li Qiang notably did not use such language, merely referencing Xi’s Two Sessions speech without the usual pledges of loyalty. The contrast between Xi’s disengagement and Li Qiang’s renewed focus on the economy raises the question: Is Xi stepping back from leadership responsibilities, or is he being sidelined?
Former Flatterer No Longer Expresses Loyalty to the 'Xi Core'
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, Li Hongzhong, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, conducted a research trip to Henan from March 18 to 20. He visited several companies, including China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd., CITIC Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Anyang Drone Industry Park, and Sanquan Foods Co., Ltd. During his visit, Li Hongzhong referenced the 'Xi core' and Xi Jinping's significant speeches at the Two Sessions, but notably omitted any mention of the 'two establishments', 'two safeguards', or 'Chinese-style modernization', and refrained from the previously common expressions of loyalty.
In January 2016, Li Hongzhong, who was then the Secretary of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, publicly praised Xi Jinping, referring to him as the 'core leader of the Party Central Committee'. He asserted that to 'consciously safeguard the authority of the Party Central Committee', one must also consciously protect the 'Xi core'.
In September 2016, after assuming the role of Secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Li Hongzhong again expressed his loyalty, stating that he would uphold the 'Xi core' and the 'absolute authority of the core' with 'absolute loyalty'.
On October 10, 2016, the Tianjin Daily published a signed article by Li Hongzhong, which was even more direct in its expression of loyalty to Xi Jinping, declaring that 'loyalty that is not absolute is equivalent to absolute disloyalty.'
The flattery of Li Hongzhong paid off. At the 19th National Congress of the CCP in October 2017, Li Hongzhong entered the Politburo. In June 2022, after being reappointed as the CCP Secretary of Tianjin, he declared, “Holding high the banner, closely following the core,” and further demonstrated his loyalty to Xi Jinping by stating that he would serve with a selfless mindset and a willingness to sacrifice, embodying loyalty with pure and sincere devotion. At the 20th National Congress in October 2022, Li was reappointed as a Politburo member, and in March 2023, he became the first-ranked Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.
During the later stages of this year’s Two Sessions, Zhao Leji did not make an appearance, leaving Li Hongzhong to preside over the NPC Presidium meetings and the closing session, giving him some prominence. This time, he, along with several Politburo Standing Committee members, left Beijing for research trips, but his praise for "Xi as the core" was significantly toned down, and he no longer openly pledged loyalty. Li Hongzhong was previously thought to have close ties to the Jiang faction, but he pivoted in time to support Xi Jinping. Instead of being purged, he was promoted all the way up. Now that Xi Jinping has lost his "core" status, Li Hongzhong has stopped his flattery and become more cautious, shifting his stance once again. This suggests that many rumors circulating in Beijing are not unfounded.
By contrast, Shi Taifeng, a typical Xi loyalist, acted differently from Li Hongzhong. According to Xinhua News Agency, from March 20 to 21, Politburo member and United Front Work Department head Shi Taifeng conducted research in Liaoning. Like Li Xi, Shi referenced the "Two Establishes," the "Two Safeguards," and "Chinese-style modernization," still attempting to outwardly uphold "Xi as the core."
Why Was the Red Site of Zunyi Skipped?
When the CCP leader travels for inspections, they typically visit revolutionary sites and emphasize propaganda. However, this trip to Yunnan and Guizhou was an exception—Zunyi, a key location in CCP history, was conspicuously skipped. The high-speed rail from Guiyang to Zunyi takes less than an hour, and Xi’s special train could have easily gone there, but it was avoided.
Meanwhile, Li Xi, who was visiting Jiangxi, specifically went to Jinggangshan. Li Hongzhong, on his trip to Henan, made a point to visit the Red Flag Canal. When Xi Jinping listened to work reports in Guiyang, he mentioned Guizhou’s rich revolutionary culture but deliberately avoided Zunyi—a symbolic location. This may have to do with the unusual historical significance of the CCP’s Zunyi Conference.
In 1934, after the Central Committee of the CCP was forced to flee westward following the encirclement campaign in Jiangxi, it arrived in Zunyi, Guizhou, in January 1935. There, the CCP held a meeting to review its failures. The ruling “troika” at the top was stripped of power, and Mao Zedong became a Politburo Standing Committee member involved in military command, though he was not yet the highest leader. The CCP later promoted the Zunyi Conference as a turning point in Mao’s rise to power, but in reality, it was only the beginning of his entry into the party’s core leadership.
Following this meeting, then-General Secretary Bo Gu lost power, and the Soviet military adviser Otto Braun (Li De) was sidelined. With Beijing now rife with rumors of Xi Jinping losing power, he may have deliberately avoided Zunyi to prevent further speculation about a leadership shakeup. However, his avoidance of Zunyi only serves to confirm the awkward situation in Zhongnanhai.
The CCP leader no longer commands authority in the Politburo and may have formally relinquished various powers. His trip to Guizhou and Yunnan, nominally an inspection, was in reality more of a leisure trip. It seems that Xi Jinping has stopped managing affairs, while Li Qiang may have gained more authority and could now be truly in charge of the State Council, without needing to seek Xi’s approval on every matter.
Xi Jinping’s leisurely tour may also be beyond his control—it is possible that he no longer has the power to decide his itinerary. While he still holds the title of party leader, there may be places he is no longer allowed to visit, and the content of his speeches might also be restricted. He can only repeat official rhetoric and may no longer be able to issue real directives.
After hearing work reports from Guizhou and Yunnan, Xi’s speeches only mentioned the "party’s leadership," but he did not repeat the phrase "centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee." He also did not personally mention the "Two Establishes" or the "Two Safeguards."
On March 20, Xi Jinping met with representatives of the Kunming garrison, but no vice chairman or member of the Central Military Commission accompanied him. CCTV footage showed Xi appearing alone before the representatives. Rumors suggest that He Weidong is in trouble—normally, he would have used this occasion to refute the rumors by appearing alongside Xi, but that did not happen.
On the same day, the PLA Daily published an article on page three titled "Handling the Relationship Between Progress and Quality." The article quoted Xi’s speech at the Two Sessions, stating that it is necessary to balance "progress and quality, cost and efficiency" and to pursue "high-quality, high-efficiency, low-cost, and sustainable development." The article also warned that if any link in this chain experiences quality problems, it will have harmful consequences.
This article effectively criticizes the previous approach to military development, implying that past priorities on speed over quality have led to serious issues. It also specifically mentions the dangers of such an approach. It remains unclear who in the military commission is trying to discredit whom, but the article indicates that internal power struggles within the military are escalating and becoming more public. The political situation in Beijing following the Two Sessions has entered a new phase of turmoil.
(Dajiyuan)
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