During the closing ceremony of the Two Sessions, video footage showed that as Xi Jinping was leaving, several Politburo members, including Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) He Weidong, turned around and stood by their seats to watch Xi depart. However, Zhang Youxia remained facing forward, not even glancing back as Xi walked past behind him. (Screenshot from video)
[People News] If it can be said that Xi Jinping has lost his grip on military power, the Chinese military previously attempted to obscure this fact. Military media reports still afforded Xi the status he deserved, and even when belittling him, it was done subtly, through minor details. However, since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, particularly in the last half month, I have observed that the military's efforts to 'diminish Xi' have become increasingly bold.
The specific manifestations are as follows:
1. The headlines of the Chinese military network and military newspaper have quietly changed.
In my recollection, over the past few years, whether the news about Xi was significant or not, the military network and military newspaper consistently focused on him, with most headlines revolving around Xi. Recently, however, the headlines of the military network and military newspaper have featured more stories from the military itself, while some news about Xi has been deliberately downplayed.
For instance, on December 29, the military network's main headline was the series 'Military Newspaper Reporters Seeking Roots' featuring the article 'Blood and Soil from the Same Source', which has appeared multiple times in the top position of the military network recently. On the same day, reports from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection titled 'In-depth Study and Implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Thoughts on the Party's Self-Revolution' and '2025, Chairman Xi Jinping Leading China's Diplomacy to Break Waves' were relegated to secondary positions, a scenario that would have been unimaginable in the previous five or six years.
Moreover, on December 28, the military network's headline once featured the military newspaper commentator's article 'Advancing Political Training Deeply and Solidly, Firmly Upholding the Political Character of the People's Army' at the top, while a news piece about Xi was placed in a secondary position.
The author observes that news related to the meetings of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China continues to be prominently featured, while other news concerning Xi Jinping is being downplayed.
Secondly, the military network and military newspaper articles are diminishing Xi's prominence, and the 'Xi Thought' research centre is shifting its focus.
One clear indication of the military's downplaying of Xi is that articles on the military network and in military newspapers are noticeably less flattering than in the past.
For instance, an article titled 'Deepening the Advancement of the Army's Legal Construction', published on December 29 under the military network's column 'Learning and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session', was authored by a researcher from the National Defence University’s 'Xi Thought' research centre. Traditionally, such articles would begin with phrases like 'Chairman Xi pointed out' or 'Chairman Xi emphasised'.
However, this new article does not mention Xi's name at the outset; instead, it states, 'Deepening the advancement of the army's legal construction is a specific implementation of comprehensive rule of law in the fields of national defence and the military, and also a strategic overall layout of the Party Central Committee based on Chinese-style modernisation...'. Here, the 'Party Central Committee' has taken the place of Xi.
It is only in the fifth paragraph of the second section that it mentions the entire army 'must deeply study and comprehend Xi Jinping's thoughts on the rule of law', referencing Xi a few times. By the third section, it further explains that 'the Party's absolute leadership over the military is the core and fundamental requirement of governing the military according to law', and Xi's name is absent once more.
Reviewing previous articles written by the 'Xi Thought' research centre, it is unusual for 'Chairman Xi' not to follow the 'Party Central Committee'.
In an article titled 'Advancing Political Training to Go Deeper and More Practical', published on December 28, 'Xi Thought' is only mentioned in the third paragraph, while the entire text emphasises the military's obedience to the Party's command. Is Xi still referred to as 'Chairman Xi'?
Lastly, the military's pictorial publications are also downplaying Xi.
In a previous article, the author noted that the recently released 11th issue of the "PLA Pictorial" reflects a subtle diminishment of Xi Jinping's status, as the cover features a photo of him attending the opening ceremony of the National Games in Guangzhou in November. The November issue includes two significant news items: the 20th Central Committee's Fourth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China held in Beijing, where Xi presided and delivered a speech, and Xi's attendance at the commissioning ceremony of the aircraft carrier "Fujian" in Sanya. The former is a major event within the Communist Party, while the latter is significant for the military.
If the goal was to emphasise Xi's "supreme" status, the "Pictorial" should have adhered to past practices by selecting a photo of Xi from either of these two important events for the cover. Instead, the military opted for a photo from the National Games opening ceremony, which clearly conveys a message of disregard for Xi.
Moreover, it is not just the military network and military newspapers that are downplaying Xi; other official media outlets of the Communist Party, such as Xinhua News and People's Daily, are also minimising his presence in news reports. The frequency of Xi appearing in headlines has noticeably declined compared to the past, and the customary loyalty phrases are now absent. For example, in a news article from Xinhua News on December 29 titled "China Rule of Law Discussion Forum (2025) and the 16th China Legal Scholars Forum Opening Ceremony, Chen Wenqing Attends and Speaks," the loyalty phrase "two four four two" that was commonly used in the 2023 discussion forum reports was omitted. Similarly, on December 22, when the Public Security Network reported on the speech of Wang Xiaohong, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Public Security, at the National Public Security Science and Technology Work Conference, it also did not mention the "two four four two" phrase that he had frequently used in earlier speeches.
The military's assertiveness and the shifts in state media have consistently suggested that Xi's standing is significantly diminished compared to before.
(Originally published by People News) △
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