In Sydney, Australia, A young Chinese-Australian woman named Yang Lanlan drove a Rolls-Royce while intoxicated, causing a serious injury. (screenshots)
[People News] In recent days, Chinese-Australian woman Yang Lanlan has triggered a wave of public opinion both inside and outside China. She was rumoured to have posted bail of AUD 70 million after being involved in a car accident, and the sky-high bail amount set Chinese social media ablaze. People began digging into Yang’s background. The self-media channel “You Liao” revealed that Yang is a “Red Fourth Generation,” but not a descendant of former PRC President Yang Shangkun. However, her family’s power and influence are enormous—so much so that even Xi Jinping dares not offend them and must show deference.
The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on July 26. The 23-year-old Chinese woman, Lanlan Yang, was driving a Rolls-Royce worth at least AUD 1 million when it collided head-on with a Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes driver was seriously injured and required amputation. Yang Lanlan was uninjured in the crash.
A few days later, Yang—dressed head-to-toe in designer labels—appeared at the local police station accompanied by bodyguards. When questioned by reporters, she lowered her head, covered her face, and did not respond. The case is scheduled for court on August 15.
The Daily Mail reported that Yang resides in a multimillion-dollar penthouse apartment. In addition to the Rolls-Royce involved in the crash, she also owns another unregistered white Rolls-Royce. Neighbours say she rarely interacts with anyone, and little is known about her.
Reports note her mysterious background—no social media accounts, no company or property records, no LinkedIn profile, and no publicly available information about her family, parents, business ties, or source of wealth.
When the news of the crash reached China, it immediately became a hot topic. Chinese netizens kept searching for her real identity. Rumours spread that Yang easily paid the AUD 70 million bail and that she held AUD 27 billion in assets in Australia.
However, on Monday, August 11, the New South Wales Courts and Tribunals told BBC Chinese that police had not set any monetary conditions for her bail.
When asked about online rumours, a spokesperson said: “These rumours are very likely to be extremely inaccurate.” The spokesperson did not respond to questions about the woman’s identity.
So, whose descendant is Yang Lanlan? Because of her surname “Yang,” some guessed she was related to Yang Shangkun.
The overseas self-media outlet “You Liao” disclosed on August 11 that Yang Lanlan is not a descendant of Yang Shangkun. But the power of her family and its political standing in the Party are such that Xi Jinping must give way. The host said he could not directly reveal her identity on the program, only provide clues for netizens to piece together.
According to “You Liao,” Yang Lanlan’s family is the product of a marriage between two major political families that still wield considerable influence within the Party.
He revealed that after Xi Jinping was transferred from Hebei to Fujian, it was Yang Lanlan’s great-grandfather who acted as Xi’s political patron in Fujian, enabling him to establish a foothold there. As a result, Xi now still fears them to some degree.
“You Liao” further disclosed that Yang’s paternal great-grandfather’s surname is Yang, and her maternal great-grandfather was one of the most powerful vice–state-level leaders of his era. In those days, vice–state-level leaders were considered Party elders. Even Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun would have to think twice before moving against them.
He also hinted that Yang Lanlan’s paternal grandmother’s elder brother—her father’s maternal uncle—still holds influence in Hebei today. The well-known story of a “bathhouse crackdown on organised crime” in Hebei can also be traced back to Yang’s family.
“You Liao” summarised:
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Yang Lanlan’s paternal great-grandfather was from Fujian and a powerful military figure; her maternal great-grandfather was also a vice–state-level military powerhouse. Her father’s maternal uncle is famous in Hebei for wiping out organised crime.
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She has no relation to the Yang Shangkun family.
“You Liao” analysed that the Jiangyou Incident had severely impacted Xi Jinping’s camp. Xi’s faction wanted to use the “Yang Lanlan incident” to offset the heated public attention on the Jiangyou protests, which could shake local governments’ confidence in governing—a far more important issue for Beijing.
The “Yang Lanlan car crash” happened on July 26; the Jiangyou protests erupted on August 4. Xi’s faction imported the Yang story from overseas, repackaged it, and hyped it domestically—also as a way to pressure the two political families. For years, these two intermarried political clans have controlled much of Australia’s mining industry. Yang’s great-grandfathers remain among the hardest-to-touch elite power groups in Chinese politics. The AUD 70 million bail figure was, according to him, a fabricated detail added later.
Based on “You Liao”’s clues, netizens began making their own guesses:
“She is the great-granddaughter of Yang Chengwu, with maternal great-grandfather Qin Jiwei, grandfather Yang Dongming (Air Force Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General), and grandmother Qin Wanjian (daughter of Qin Jiwei). Yang Chengwu was from Changting, Fujian.”
“Yang Chengwu (1914–2004) was an important early PLA general who participated in the Long March, War of Resistance, and Civil War. He served as acting Chief of General Staff of the PLA and was awarded the rank of General in 1955. Born in Changting County, Fujian—matching the ‘great-grandfather from Fujian’ clue.”
“These two families have many descendants and strong backing—even Xi (‘the bun’) fears to touch them.”
“The two major background families could be Qin Jiwei and either Xiang Nan or Chen Guangyi. Qin’s second son once commanded the 27th Army in Shijiazhuang. Xiang Nan and Chen Guangyi served as provincial leaders in Fujian before Jia Qinglin.”
“Fitting these conditions, she could also be a descendant of Yang Dezhi!”
“I’ve heard she’s the daughter of Yang Zhen (daughter of Chen Yun)!”
Some netizens even speculated that she is related to the Xi family.
Public records show that in June 1985, Xi Jinping went to Fujian to serve as Vice Mayor of Xiamen, and in October 2002, he was transferred to Zhejiang as Deputy Party Secretary.
Yang Chengwu, from Changting, Fujian, was a former vice–state-level leader—PLA founding general, first commander of the Beijing Military Region, former acting Chief of General Staff of the PLA, and Vice Chairman of the CPPCC.
In October 1977, Yang concurrently served as Commander of the Fuzhou Military Region. In January 1980 and October 1983, he was successively removed from the posts of Deputy Chief of General Staff and Commander of the Fuzhou Military Region.
On November 28, 1938, Yang married Zhao Zhizhen in Beichengzi Village, Laiyuan County, Baoding, Hebei Province. They had sons Yang Dongsheng, Yang Dongming, and Yang Dongcheng; and daughters Yang Yisheng (Yang Yi), Yang Junsheng, Yang Dongrong, and Yang Yang.
His son, Yang Dongming, married Qin Jiwei’s daughter. In December 2005, Yang Dongming was appointed PLA Air Force Deputy Commander with the rank of Lieutenant General.
Qin Jiwei, from Huang’an County, Hubei Province, was also a vice–state-level leader. He served as a member of the 11th–13th CCP Central Committees, an alternate member of the 12th Politburo, and a full member of the 13th Politburo, as well as a member of the Central Military Commission. He was made Lieutenant General in 1955 and promoted to General in 1988.
After 1955, Qin served as Deputy Commander of the Yunnan Military Region, Commander of the Kunming Military Region, Commander of the Chengdu Military Region, Political Commissar and Commander of the Beijing Military Region, CMC member, State Councillor, and Minister of National Defence.
Qin Weijiang, eldest son, was Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Military Region and in January 2016 became the first Commander of the newly formed PLA Eastern Theatre Command Army.
Qin Tian, second son (also known as Qin Bingjiang), served as Director of the Scientific Research Department of the National Defence University and Vice President of the Academy of Military Science. In December 2015, he became Chief of Staff of the People’s Armed Police, later serving as Deputy Commander in September 2017.
Qin Wanjian, daughter, born in 1958, holds a master’s degree. She has served as General Manager of Hong Kong Tianwei Development Co., Vice Chairman of Guangzhou Dapeng Real Estate Co., and Vice Chairman/Deputy General Manager of Guangzhou Longyi Investment Co. Her husband is Yang Dongming, Air Force Deputy Commander and Lieutenant General.
Regarding the story of Yang Lanlan’s father’s maternal uncle cracking down on organised crime in Hebei, a popular version goes: “The most badass army commander in history brought troops to smash a mafia-owned hotel!”
In July 2007, Qin Weijiang—Commander of the 27th Group Army of the Beijing Military Region—met Ji Hongjun (son of Ji Pengfei) after a decade. Upon leaving the hotel, they accidentally broke a cup. They offered to pay for it, but the waiter and manager insulted them. This hotel reportedly had mafia ties and colluded with local officials, police, prosecutors, and judges. Eventually, Commander Qin dispatched a 500-man reconnaissance battalion to smash the hotel, dealing a heavy blow to the local underworld. Netizens dubbed him “China’s most badass army commander.”
This story, however, has not been officially confirmed. △
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