The Military Purge Is Linked to Xi Jinping’s Inner Demons

Illustration and text of the 46th prophecy from the “Tui Bei Tu.” (Produced by Dajiyuan)

[People News] There is a saying that the more truth is debated, the clearer it becomes. The reported arrest of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia has been a hot topic of discussion for several consecutive days. Initial discussion focused on factional struggles, power seizures, and coups within the Chinese Communist Party. As the debate deepened, commentators from various quarters began to conclude that whether it is the downfall of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, or the large-scale purge of the military that began several years ago, all are connected to Xi Jinping’s inner demons — specifically, paranoia.

On January 27, Nikkei Asia published an article by Chinese scholar Nie Youlun, noting that Xi Jinping and Zhang Youxia share ties from their fathers’ generation. Zhang Youxia is the only “princeling” (offspring of senior CCP leaders) in the Politburo and has long projected absolute loyalty to Xi Jinping. However, Zhang possesses an extensive personal network within the military, and his family controls enormous wealth, enabling him to maintain power through bribery and personal connections. This is incompatible with Xi Jinping’s demand for “absolute obedience.” As a result, Xi cannot trust Zhang and even fears that Zhang might turn against him to protect his own interests.

This intense sense of crisis is essentially paranoia, and it has triggered the purge targeting Zhang Youxia.

Nie Youlun points out that Xi Jinping aims to use this to intimidate all PLA officers into submission, ensuring that no potential challenger within the military can threaten his authority or his timetable for achieving “national unification.”

As early as June 23, 2023, after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a mutiny in Russia, rumours circulated in Beijing that Xi Jinping had developed severe paranoia. According to these reports, in Xi’s eyes, everyone around him was a potential “Prigozhin.” Therefore, Xi began purging the military to root out any “Prigozhins” who were not absolutely loyal.

Xi’s paranoia is not only linked to the Prigozhin incident but also, according to outside analysis, to the Tang dynasty prophecy book Tui Bei Tu.

According to online sources, Xi Jinping has believed in various ancient prophecies since his early years. The one that most troubles him is the 46th prophecy of Tui Bei Tu, which reads: “There is a soldier who carries a bow; He says only that he is a white-haired old man. In the eastern gate lies a hidden golden sword; A warrior enters the imperial palace through the back gate.” This has long been interpreted as predicting that a military figure whose name contains the character “bow” (弓) would launch an internal coup or mutiny to overthrow Xi Jinping. Xi has reportedly been searching for this “soldier who carries a bow.”

At first, the “bow” was interpreted as referring to the Rocket Force, since rockets are arrows, and arrows require a bow. Therefore, Xi launched a purge of the Rocket Force. Later, many began to believe that the “soldier who carries a bow” alluded to Zhang Youxia. Observers noted that Zhang controlled real military power and could directly meet with U.S. representatives, while Xi’s own military authority appeared weakened, making him a “commander without troops.”

Additionally, observers noticed that when Zhang Youxia turned his back to Xi Jinping, he often displayed angry or glaring expressions. This led to speculation that Zhang might bear a special historical mission. This view spread widely on the internet and among the public, eventually destroying the trust built by the “two generations’ friendship” between Xi and Zhang.

However, commentator Cai Shenkun revealed that according to his sources, the real reason Xi views Zhang as a threat is not “street gossip” or rumours, but Xi’s deep inner sense of insecurity, stemming from his particular psychological condition.

Several years ago, Cultural Revolution historian Professor Song Yongyi argued that Xi Jinping had already entered a “late Mao” phase — meaning his political mentality resembles Mao Zedong’s during the later years of the Cultural Revolution. Moreover, Xi has deliberately tried to emulate Mao. Dictators share a common trait: suspicion and fear.

On January 28, an X (Twitter) user named “Lizhi” posted: “Xi Jinping’s purge of the military clearly originates from his mental illness — paranoia. Chinese media once reported that Xi’s father, Xi Zhongxun, developed mental illness after being persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, and that this illness was passed on to Xi Jinping. When Xi gained absolute power as China’s top decision-maker, able to mobilise party, government, and military forces at will, he effectively became a dictator. All dictators share the same trait: severe paranoia. The greater the power, the stronger the suspicion; the older they grow, the worse it becomes. Xi Jinping is now 73 years old. During the September 3 military parade in Beijing, he publicly discussed organ transplantation with Putin and Kim Jong-un, revealing his delusion that he could live to 150 years old. These remarks exposed his obsession with power. The deeper his obsession with power, the more severe his paranoia becomes. In practice, this means purges and crackdowns — even trusted companions will not be spared.”

If Xi does not abandon his obsession with power, his paranoia will not be cured. The result will be endless internal purges and the arrest of ever more “Prigozhins.” △