According to reports from state media, during his visit to the Joint Operations Command Centre on November 8, 2022, Xi Jinping was flanked by He Weidong, Liu Zhenli, Xi Jinping, Zhang Shengmin, Li Shangfu, Zhang Youxia, and Miao Hua from left to right. (Video screenshot)
[People News] Over the past three years, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping has persistently carried out a significant purge of military generals. The recent downfall of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia has caused considerable upheaval and attracted international attention, with accusations that Xi has instigated a 'civil war.' Recently, a 'death photo' from the military and the 'ghost stories' surrounding the August 1st Building have resurfaced.
On February 24, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) China Power Project published a 'Database of Chinese Military Purges,' which documents information on over a hundred senior CCP military officers who have been purged or are at risk of purging since 2022. The report characterises Xi Jinping's actions as having initiated a 'political civil war' within the military, revealing that the extent of his purging efforts is much larger than previously understood.
According to the CSIS report, since 2022, the CCP has officially dismissed 36 generals and lieutenant generals, while an additional 65 officers are either missing or may have been purged (this assessment is based on their absence from key meetings they were expected to attend). This results in a staggering total of 101 confirmed and potential purges, encompassing both active and retired generals (the database only includes generals and lieutenant generals due to the lack of transparency regarding lower-ranking officers).
Ahead of the CCP's national 'Two Sessions,' on February 26, the authorities dismissed nine military representatives from the National People's Congress in one go, including former Navy Commander Shen Jinlong, former Navy Political Commissar Qin Shengxiang, former Air Force Political Commissar Yu Zhongfu, former Army Commander Li Qiaoming, and former Political Commissar of the Information Support Force Li Wei. All of these individuals were promoted by Xi Jinping, with Qin Shengxiang being identified as the so-called 'operator' behind Xi's military reforms.
'Death' Photo
In a recent episode of internal conflict, the top military leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, were unexpectedly placed under investigation on January 24. This has reduced the current members of the Central Military Commission from an initial seven to just two, leaving very few active generals.
A photograph dubbed the 'death photo' of the members of the 20th Central Military Commission has recently resurfaced online.
On November 8, 2022, Xi Jinping, accompanied by members of the Military Commission, inspected the Central Military Commission Joint Operations Command Centre while dressed in camouflage. At that time, Xinhua News Agency published photos, and the CCP's CCTV aired related videos.
The seven individuals in this photograph include Xi Jinping, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the two Vice Chairmen Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, and the then members of the Military Commission Li Shangfu, Liu Zhenli, Miao Hua, and Zhang Shengmin.
However, as of now, Li Shangfu, Miao Hua, He Weidong, Zhang Youxia, and Liu Zhenli have all been dismissed. It is no surprise that foreign media have quipped that with only Xi and Zhang Shengmin remaining, what meetings can the Central Military Commission still conduct?
Moreover, every time Xi Jinping promotes a general, a photo is taken, and these images have now become subjects of mockery—those who have shaken hands with Xi seem to have encountered bad luck. There are also questions about who selected these generals. While Xi can blame Miao Hua, who oversees military personnel, for the appointments, does he not have the discernment to recognise talent, or is he simply incompetent?
'Haunted House' Story
Informed sources in Beijing have revealed that following the dismissals of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, the Bayi Building at 7 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, has been dubbed a 'haunted house' and 'ghost house', with rumours of its poor feng shui resurfacing.
According to popular belief, a haunted house or ghost house refers to a property where unfortunate events have taken place.
On September 6, 2021, Xi Jinping promoted five generals, including Wang Haijiang, Lin Xiangyang, Dong Jun, Chang Dingqiu, and Xu Xueqiang (arranged from right to left), and currently, only Dong Jun (centre) remains. (Video screenshot)
As far back as ten years ago, after the death of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Xu Caihou and the imprisonment of Guo Boxiong, their former offices were considered 'ghost houses', left unoccupied, with no one willing to enter and clean, and no generals willing to move in to work.
More than eight years ago, Central Military Commission members Zhang Yang and Fang Fenghui, one of whom committed suicide and the other was imprisoned, and at that time, the idea of the Bayi Building being a 'ghost house' also circulated.
The Bayi Building has consistently served as the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defence of the Communist Party of China, primarily handling military foreign affairs and the promotion and appointment ceremonies of senior generals. In 2023, the two former ministers of defence, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were dismissed in succession, and the new minister of defence, Dong Jun, has yet to be appointed as a member of the Military Commission, as is customary, making him the lowest-ranking defence minister in history, and his future is also viewed as uncertain.
Despite being the leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which professes atheism and advises its members against superstitions, Xi Jinping (Xi Jinping) is reportedly quite credulous regarding various prophecies and feng shui practices. This includes the prophecy 'Tui Bei Tu', which is rumoured to contain hidden meanings about the potential 'overthrow of Xi'. Known for his extreme suspicion, Xi may be increasingly anxious about possible military backlash following his recent purge within the armed forces, leading to restless nights. The ominous presence of the 'haunted house' serves as a reflection of the CPC's declining power!
(Dajiyuan)
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