Li Qiang Outshines Xi in Beijing as Xi Visits Yunnan and Guizhou, Mentions "Retirement" for the First Time

Beginning to Betray Xi? Li Qiang’s Weakest Support for Xi at the Two Sessions (AI-Generated Image)

[People News] Li Qiang is in the spotlight, while Xi Jinping has faded from public view. On March 23, Li attended the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum in Beijing, delivering the keynote speech. On the same day, he also met with U.S. Senator Steve Daines, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump. Whether addressing foreign business leaders on stage or discussing China-U.S. relations and trade with American officials behind closed doors, Li presented himself as a full-fledged leader of both the Party and the state. In contrast, Xi Jinping was completely absent from public activities in Beijing—not just low-profile, but outright missing.

Different Tones in Reporting on Li Qiang and Xi Jinping

On March 23, state media coverage diverged significantly. Xinhua News Agency and other Party outlets continued to focus on Xi’s trip to Yunnan and Guizhou, while the People’s Daily’s online edition unusually placed a 12-year retrospective on "a community with a shared future for mankind" as its top headline. The Foreign Ministry’s website only featured news from before March 13, such as Xi’s congratulatory message to Greece’s new president. Even more striking, the top photo news story was from February 28, showing Xi’s meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.

Even more unusually, Li Qiang refrained from the usual political rhetoric that praises Xi as the "core leader" or credits his "guiding ideology." In his China Development Forum speech, Xinhua’s nearly 1,000-word official transcript mentioned Xi’s name only once. That single reference appeared in the second paragraph, where Li quoted a short phrase from Xi—seemingly as a mere formality. Similarly, in the 500-word report on Li’s meeting with U.S. officials, Xi was only referenced once, when Li paraphrased a statement from Xi’s phone call with Trump, saying that "China and the U.S. have broad space for cooperation." The way Xi’s name was awkwardly inserted into the narrative felt forced and unnatural.

Strange Arrangement

Dai Ans (戴安斯) is a key member of the Trump team, and his first visit to Beijing since the new government took office is particularly significant, especially given the current tensions in China-U.S. trade. In addition to his meeting with Li Qiang (李强), it is peculiar that the Chinese Communist Party also arranged for Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu (马朝旭) to meet him. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website reported on March 21 with a brief statement: 'The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and issues of mutual concern.' This raises questions about the nature of the meetings; either Li Qiang's high-level status or the Vice Minister's lower rank suggests there was no equivalent meeting. If Dai Ans's official position is deemed too low to meet Xi Jinping (习近平), then surely the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would be an appropriate counterpart. However, the European Union invited Xi Jinping to Brussels in May for the 50th-anniversary summit, yet the CCP has decided not to allow Xi to attend, instead sending Li Qiang to meet with von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel (科斯塔). What is really happening here?

Former mainland media figure Zhao Lanjian (赵兰健) and independent commentator Chen Pokong (陈破空) have reported and analyzed that CCP elders and military leaders are calling for Xi Jinping to step down in the next term. They argue that if Xi continues to personally oversee and direct affairs, not only will the CCP's economy, diplomacy, and military suffer, but the regime itself may face collapse. Therefore, it is crucial to promote Li Qiang, a close confidant of Xi, to take over at the Fourth Plenary Session or the 21st National Congress, allowing him to become acquainted with various international responsibilities as a leader. Currently, Xi Jinping holds little power and is unable to attend the EU summit.

Xi's First Mention of 'Retirement'

While rumours are simply unverified claims, there is one point that merits attention. Recently, a user on platform X, known as 'Quantum Leap,' shared that friends from within the Party reported that Xi Jinping delivered a speech during his inspection in Guizhou two days ago, which included a surprising statement: 'At the 20th National Congress, we established a leadership team that continues the past and opens up the future, ensuring that even if I retire due to health reasons, the stability of the central leadership collective will be maintained.' This may be the first time Xi Jinping has mentioned his retirement, and even referred to it as being due to health issues while asserting that the central leadership collective would remain stable even in his absence. Reportedly, when Xi made this statement, the audience was left in shock, yet no one dared to respond.

If this is accurate, it corroborates the analysis by commentator Chen Pokong from two days ago, suggesting that Xi's power has waned, and his visit to Yunnan and Guizhou is a preparation for his farewell before stepping down. Our website referenced this in the article 'The White-Haired CCP Leader Visits Yunnan and Guizhou: A Major Event May Occur in Beijing,' and those interested can look back at the previous article, so I won't elaborate further. Consequently, this so-called central collective leadership is set to transition into a strong leadership centred around 'Comrade Li Qiang.' This aligns with reports from Zhao Lanjian and others.

Strange Occurrences Abound

However, upon reviewing Li Qiang's meeting with Diane, another oddity arises: the Communist Party should have had arrangements in place for such matters, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have been aware of this diplomatic schedule. Yet, during the routine press conference on March 21, spokesperson Mao Ning surprisingly claimed ignorance, leaving it unclear why they were reluctant to announce in advance that Li Qiang would be meeting.

During the press conference, three foreign media outlets posed related questions, but Mao Ning either claimed ignorance or provided vague answers that left the audience perplexed. For instance, an Agence France-Presse reporter asked, 'Senator Dianne Feinstein is a strong supporter of President Trump. Will she meet with Chinese leaders or other senior officials during her visit to China?' Mao Ning replied, 'I currently have no information to provide.' A Reuters reporter then inquired, 'What expectations does the Chinese side have for her visit?' Mao Ning stated, 'The relationship between China and the United States remains stable, healthy, and sustainable, which aligns with... common interests and the general expectations of the international community.' Another foreign media outlet asked, 'Do you believe Senator Feinstein's visit will lay the groundwork for a meeting between the leaders of China and the United States?' Mao Ning responded, 'The Chinese side welcomes Senator Feinstein's visit to China and also welcomes individuals from all sectors of the United States, including members of Congress, to visit China.' He then inexplicably repeated a statement he had made in response to the Reuters reporter.

However, reports from the party media on the 23rd indicated that the conversation between Li Qiang and Dianne Feinstein differed from what foreign media reported. The party media stated that Li Qiang emphasized that cooperation with the United States is mutually beneficial and has broad prospects. In contrast, Radio France Internationale reported that Feinstein mentioned she would discuss the trade imbalance and tariff issues related to fentanyl trafficking with Chinese leaders, addressing what they can do and how they can do more to stop these chemicals... the $300 billion trade deficit, and what the U.S. side can do to change trade practices.

Analysts suggest that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China is unlikely to be unaware of who is attending the talks or what is being discussed. They may not have received clear instructions on whether they can announce 'Li Qiang met' or how to specifically describe the discussions. Alternatively, high-level discussions may still be ongoing without a resolution. Another possibility is that there is a concern about revealing too much too soon, which could lead to external speculation. In any case, Li Qiang's strong influence cannot be hidden, nor can Xi Jinping's authority, which has already diminished. The intense internal conflicts within the Communist Party are also becoming increasingly apparent. It is possible that as Li Qiang gains more power, the Communist regime could face a weak collapse, as a minister being stronger than the emperor often leads to a reversal of fortunes; the end of a dictatorship typically does not come with a dramatic bang, but rather with a quiet whimper.