Seating Change at Military Parade: Zhang Youxia Elevated to Full National Rank?

Zhang Youxia sat in the first row with the full national-level leaders. (Video screenshot)

[People News] On the morning of September 3, the CCP held a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Party elders such as Li Ruihuan, Wen Jiabao, and Wang Yang attended, while Hu Jintao and Zhu Rongji were absent. The most surprising development was that Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia, who is nominally a vice-national-level leader, was seated together with full national-level leaders.

According to CCTV’s live broadcast, the retired CCP leaders of full national rank who attended included: Li Ruihuan, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Lanqing, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun, He Guoqiang, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan, and Zhang Gaoli. Absent were Hu Jintao, Zhu Rongji, Song Ping, and Luo Gan.

As the previous top leader, Hu Jintao—who will turn 83 at the end of this year—ranks as the most senior of the CCP elders.

Zhu Rongji, who turns 97 next month, has rarely appeared in public in recent years. His last known public appearance was in October 2018, when he met with members of the advisory board of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management in Beijing.

From the live broadcast, Wen Jiabao appeared relaxed, Li Ruihuan somewhat stern, and Wang Yang smiling broadly. The three stood straight, appearing healthy and in good spirits.

The focus, however, was Zhang Youxia. He was seated in the first row, alongside full national-level leaders. Next to him sat retired Politburo Standing Committee members Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan, and Zhang Gaoli.

As a vice-national-level leader, Zhang Youxia’s placement with the full national-level leaders in the front row carries intriguing implications.

Independent commentator Jiang Senzhe previously analysed Zhang Youxia’s seating at the last military parade.

In the 2019 parade, Zhang sat in the first row of Tiananmen Rostrum, surrounded by fellow vice-national-level Politburo members. To his left were Chen Quanguo, Hu Chunhua, and Huang Kunming; to his right were Yang Jiechi, Li Qiang, Sun Chunlan, Liu He, and Wang Chen. All were then Central Politburo members.

In the 2019 parade, Zhang Youxia was seated among vice-national-level Politburo members. (Video screenshot)

According to Jiang Senzhe, by normal protocol, Zhang Youxia’s seat should be among Central Politburo members of the same vice-national level.

This year’s September 3 parade hosted a large number of foreign guests, so the first row of Tiananmen Rostrum had limited space for CCP leaders. Thus, only the seven Politburo Standing Committee members (the highest-ranking leaders), Vice President Han Zheng, and retired national-level leaders could be seated in the front row. Ordinary Politburo members were relegated to the second row.

From CCTV footage, those seated in the second row included vice-national-level Politburo members He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing, Chen Wenqing, Chen Jining, Chen Min’er, Shi Taifeng, Yin Li, Li Ganjie, and Li Hongzhong.

In other words, all full national-level leaders were in the first row, while all vice-national-level leaders were in the second row.

Jiang Senzhe concludes that Zhang Youxia’s placement apart from the Politburo members and among full national-level leaders suggests that his political status has already been elevated to that of full national rank.

If Zhang Youxia is indeed now treated as a full national rank, does this mean he is set to become Chairman of the Central Military Commission?

For some time, there have been widespread rumours that Zhang Youxia has been purging Xi Jinping’s faction within the military. Xi may retire—or semi-retire—and step down as Chairman of the Central Military Commission, with Zhang Youxia to succeed him.

(People News original) △