Why Do the 'old Comrades' Continue to Support Xi Jinping?

On October 22, 2022, during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping ordered the removal of former President Hu Jintao from the venue. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

[People News] On the eve of the traditional Chinese New Year, Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the government followed tradition by visiting or delegating relevant officials to visit over a hundred retired senior CPC officials, including Hu Jintao, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, and Wen Jiabao, collectively known as the 'old comrades.' This was reported by the CPC's official media, Xinhua News Agency, on February 13.

What is particularly intriguing is which senior officials Xi Jinping actually visited. Did he meet with Hu Jintao and Zhu Rongji? Earlier reports from overseas suggested that both were in poor health and had been hospitalised. What would Xi say to them during their meeting?

In the turbulent political landscape of the CPC, especially in recent years, Xi's relationship with certain 'old comrades' has been strained. The moment during the closing ceremony of the 20th CPC National Congress when Xi publicly ordered Hu Jintao to be escorted out of the venue must have left a lasting impression on the 'old comrades.' Additionally, in late January, Xi removed Zhang Youxia, a member of the CPC Politburo and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, without following the usual procedures, further showcasing his ruthlessness to the 'old comrades.' Some reactions from the 'old comrades' that have emerged overseas, although their authenticity is uncertain, reflect a level of dissatisfaction among the CPC's upper echelons regarding Xi's autocratic approach.

Nevertheless, the 'old comrades' who are dissatisfied with Xi still demonstrate their support for him in official media reports, standing by him.

The news begins by stating that "the old comrades" express their sincere support for Xi as "the core of the Party Central Committee and the core of the entire Party," and subsequently "highly praise the significant achievements made by the Party and the country in various endeavours over the past year." There is a consensus that in the past year, "the Party Central Committee with Xi at its core... has successfully accomplished the main goals and tasks of economic and social development, taking new solid steps towards Chinese-style modernisation." 

This year, in contrast to previous years, the evaluation from "the old comrades" focuses exclusively on "the achievements of the Party and the country," rather than on the work of "Xi's Central Committee" or "the Party Central Committee." 

Specifically, the statement for 2025 reads: "the old comrades... highly praise the work of the Party Central Committee over the past year." 

For 2024, it states: "highly praise the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core... for making solid progress on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in a comprehensive manner." 

In 2023, it is noted: "highly praise the historic achievements and changes that have occurred under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core over the past five years and the ten years of the new era." 

For 2022, it is expressed as: "highly praise the remarkable achievements recorded in history that the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core has united and led the entire Party, the armed forces, and the people of all ethnic groups to accomplish." 

In 2021, it states: "highly praise the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core for uniting and leading the entire Party, the armed forces, and the people of all ethnic groups during an extraordinary year to deliver a response that satisfies the people, garners global attention, and is worthy of being recorded in history." 

For 2019 and 2020, it is noted: "highly praise the historic achievements made by the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core in uniting and leading the entire Party, the armed forces, and the people of all ethnic groups."

The signal conveyed by this transformation indicates that these retired high-ranking officials have lost their right to evaluate the 'central work' and must submit to the 'Xi core', regardless of their personal feelings.

The assessments from the 'old comrades' have shifted from previously lavish praises of 'historic achievements', 'a report worthy of being recorded in history', and 'great accomplishments that will be remembered', to this year merely acknowledging 'significant achievements' and 'taking solid steps forward'. This change carries a deeper implication.

One possibility is that the retired officials are quite dissatisfied with Xi's actions. While they may find it difficult to voice their concerns publicly, they can still express their sentiments in other ways. Given that Xi is already isolated within the party due to the lack of recognition from the 'old comrades', he must be cautious and tone down the reports of their praise.

Another possibility is that Xi is intentionally lowering the tone in the current context to avoid attracting further criticism. This suggests that after addressing the issues with Zhang and Liu, Xi faces significant challenges in attempting to regain the 'one respected' status he enjoyed five or six years ago.

Furthermore, the news mentions that the 'old comrades' still wish for the entire party, military, and all ethnic groups across the nation to unite around the 'Xi central', adhering to 'Xi Thought' as their guiding principle, and referencing the loyalty phrase 'two four four two'. Such statements have appeared in reports about 'visiting old comrades' in 2023, 2024, and 2025, whereas similar expressions were absent in reports from 2022 and prior.

For several consecutive years, there have been statements indicating that within the entire party, military, and the populace, many do not rally around 'Xi Zhongneng' and are disloyal to Xi. Xi seeks to use the voices of 'old comrades' to strengthen his authority.

From the author's perspective, the 'old comrades' who are dissatisfied with Xi continue to support him for a significant reason: they align with Xi Jinping in their commitment to safeguarding the party and preserving their vested interests. Perhaps they believe that as long as their interests remain intact and they can achieve immortality through organ replacement at any time, they can tolerate the people's suffering and the turmoil caused by Xi.

However, human plans are often outmatched by divine will. The heavens have repeatedly signalled that the collapse of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is an inevitable historical outcome. The 'old comrades' who steadfastly remain on the CPC's red boat to protect the party must act quickly to disembark, or they too will plunge into an abyss of no return alongside the CPC.

(First published by the People News) △