Opposing the Arrest of Zhang Youxia? Military Newspaper Hides Four-Character Code

Opposing the Arrest of Zhang Youxia? Military Newspaper Hides Four-Character Code — Xi Faces a Second Coup

[People News]At the very beginning of 2026, Zhongnanhai has reportedly been shaken by the most astonishing military turmoil in the CCP’s history since the “September 13 Lin Biao Incident.” The downfall of Zhang Youxia, First Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, Chief of the Joint Staff Department, has triggered a political earthquake capable of shaking the global political and economic order. Xi Jinping, in his capacity as Chairman of the Central Military Commission, ordered all military regions and departments to express support for the central decision. Yet days have passed, and the Party newspapers and military papers remain eerily silent. Not a single military region or provincial-ministerial unit has stepped forward to “declare support.” Is the CCP’s two-million-strong military on the dangerous brink of confronting authoritarian rule and even civil war?

Unusual Gunfire in Beijing

On January 28, highly unusual sounds of gunfire were heard in Beijing, signaling that since the incidents involving Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, China’s political situation has fallen into unprecedented chaos and uncertainty. According to multiple sources and eyewitness accounts, what sounded like exchanges of fire occurred near Zhongnanhai. Local residents judged that this was not fireworks or ceremonial gun salutes, but likely armed clashes between the People’s Armed Police or other military factions. Beijing is currently said to be in a state of “quasi-martial law.”

Regarding military movements, unidentified troop deployments have been observed around Beijing and in multiple locations nationwide. Civilians have filmed large numbers of covered military vehicles traveling day and night toward Beijing. Although Xi Jinping reportedly ordered troops to remain in place and keep camps closed, these troop movements have spread widely online.

While the authenticity of these rumors cannot be verified, a truly strange and unprecedented “collective silence” and “passive resistance” has appeared throughout the armed forces, sending chills down the spines of Beijing’s top leadership. This is not merely resistance to Xi Jinping’s authoritarian power — it marks what some describe as a “second coup,” triggered by the complete collapse of the so-called “Red Second Generation pact.”

Silence Is Resistance

Several days have passed since Zhang Youxia’s officially announced arrest. An even more unsettling phenomenon than the arrest itself has drawn global attention: the “collective silence” of the five theater commands.

According to decades of CCP political precedent, whenever a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission falls, the entire military is expected to launch a wave of loyalty declarations within 24 hours. For example, in the 2014 Xu Caihou case, within 24 hours of the announcement, all four General Departments of the PLA and the seven military regions at the time expressed firm support for the central leadership — responses measured in hours.

This time, that political reflex has completely failed. Military sources say the CMC General Office issued a notice on the very day Zhang Youxia fell, hinting that all units should “follow up with statements of support.” Yet five days have passed, and the Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central Theater Commands, as well as the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force, have collectively fallen silent. Official military social media accounts show only routine winter training and慰问慰问 activities, not a single word about Zhang Youxia.

In a dictatorship, the loudest sound is often not slogans but silence. Silence represents thought, doubt, and the loosening of once absolute loyalty.

In the CCP’s highly politicized military environment, prolonged refusal to take a stance represents “passive resistance” and “wait-and-see.” In an authoritarian system, silence effectively means “non-compliance.” Military insiders warn that if the Party center does not release Zhang and Liu, the Central Military Commission may gradually lose command authority over the two million active-duty troops. The current “army-wide silence” may be the first sign of a fractured chain of command.

What Does “Molting Rebirth” Suggest?

This “no statement, no study, no implementation” passive resistance has been interpreted externally as a “quasi-coup” situation. Many military officers and grassroots soldiers reportedly feel strong dissatisfaction, believing Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are respected veteran commanders forged in the artillery fire of the Vietnam War, in stark contrast to Xi Jinping, who has no military achievements. Some soldiers have even privately mocked Xi as “Steamed Bun,” indicating his authority within the military has collapsed.

Most striking is the strange tone of the PLA Daily three days after the incident. On the first day, the paper harshly criticized corruption. On the second day, it did not mention Zhang or Liu at all. By the third day, the paper was almost silent online. Yet in one editorial, the PLA Daily left behind a mysterious four-character phrase: “换羽重生” (Molting and Rebirth).

These four characters do not exist as a standard Chinese idiom and are believed to be a deliberately crafted political symbol. Because Xi Jinping’s name contains the character “羽” (feather), the phrase “replace feathers and be reborn” has been widely interpreted as meaning “only by replacing Xi can the army be reborn.” This subtle resistance from within the propaganda system reflects divisions even inside Xi’s own camp.

It is reported that even Xi’s close confidants, such as Shaanxi Party Secretary Zhao Yide and Tianjin Party Secretary Chen Min’er, have privately lamented that their “Boss Xi” went “too far this time,” revealing anxiety and unease.

For Xi, Zhang Youxia was not just a subordinate but part of a “bloodline alliance.” Their fathers, Zhang Zongxun and Xi Zhongxun, fought side by side in the Northwest Field Army and were life-and-death comrades. Early in Xi’s rule, he relied heavily on the collective support of the “Red Second Generation,” who shared an unspoken pact: the country was won by our fathers, and we protect each other.

Arresting Zhang Youxia means Xi has completely torn up that pact. The old cadre system used to act as a buffer in power politics, but now that buffer has been severed, causing the entire princeling group to tremble with fear.

This is no longer ordinary factional struggle; it is “insiders turning on insiders.” When Zhang Youxia was labeled a “traitor colluding with foreign enemies,” Xi lost the last bloodline-based foundation of support within the Party and military.

Risk of Civil War and Systemic Collapse

The CCP military command chain now appears paralyzed, and China is moving toward an extremely dangerous moment.

Experts outline three possible outcomes:

1. More intense terror purges: Xi forces all theater commands to declare loyalty and arrests more alleged associates. This may maintain surface unity but would destroy the military’s combat effectiveness, turning it into a machine driven by fear.

2. Forced compromise: If the military continues its silence, Xi may have to reach a secret deal with military forces and treat Zhang Youxia’s case lightly. This would signal the end of Xi’s absolute authority.

3. Breakdown of the command chain leading to civil war: The most terrifying scenario. If the center cannot bring the military back into line, the result may be internal war.

Chinese netizens have compared Beijing’s current situation to a modern version of the “Tianjing Incident” of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or the “Lin Biao Incident.” History shows that self-destruction at the top of power often signals the collapse of a dynasty. Xi may temporarily control people physically, but he has lost political and legal legitimacy. According to military regulations, major deployments require the joint signatures of the CMC chairman and vice chairman. As first vice chairman, Zhang Youxia’s disappearance renders any current military orders procedurally questionable.

Overseas democracy activist Tang Baiqiao launched a poll on X: “What do you think Xi Jinping’s final outcome will be?”

1. Natural end

2. Exile

3. Imprisonment

4. Execution

Currently, more than half have chosen option 4.

This storm is far from over. Behind the military’s silence, an even greater eruption may be brewing. Xi is trying to use a “coup” to regain absolute control over the military, but Zhang Youxia’s fall and the army’s silence have exposed the deepest crisis of the CCP regime. Is this “coup” the peak of Xi’s power, or the final step in his role as the “Great Accelerator” leading the CCP toward collapse? History is writing its answer.

(First published by People News)
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