The "Fujian Gang" Exposed for Corruption; Military's Latest Illustrated Report on Xi Removed

Dark clouds hang over Tiananmen Square in Beijing. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] Recently, the downfall of two individuals and the unexpected resignation of an official have drawn public attention. The two individuals who have fallen from grace are Wei Xiaodong, the Chairman of the Beijing Municipal Political Consultative Conference, and Li Xiaohong, who previously served as Secretary to Wang Qishan and Director of the Office of the Central Inspection Work Leading Group. The official who resigned is Chen Xi, the President of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, with Xi Jinping's Director of the General Office, Cai Qi, stepping into his role.

According to revelations from overseas commentator Jiang Wangzheng, Wei Xiaodong, who comes from Fujian, is a political broker among the Minjiang Five Tigers (Cai Qi, Huang Kunming, He Lifeng, Wang Xiaohong, and Chen Xi), tasked with the buying and selling of official positions. Li Xiaohong had long allied with him, serving as his deputy in the discipline inspection and supervision sector. Jiang Wangzheng also noted that Cai Qi's wife Lin Chengsheng's brother-in-law Lin Fen, along with Wang Xiaohong's son-in-law and nephew, Chen Xi's nephew, and He Lifeng's brother-in-law, are all implicated in the Wei Xiaodong case.

If these revelations are accurate, it suggests that all key members of the "Fujian Gang" that Xi relies on are involved in corruption, which could explain why Chen Xi was dismissed before the end of his term. Additionally, Cai Qi's appointment as the head of the Party School indicates an expansion of his power, possibly as a means to secure a fallback option for himself.

In this context, one question arises: Given that Xi heavily relies on the Minjiang Five Tigers, and after Xi removed Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia in January this year, he regained some power and subsequently dominated the Chinese Communist Party's official and military media for several months, publicly asserting his position as the supreme party leader, why are Xi and his faction unable to protect Wei Xiaodong, who carried out their dirty work? Why couldn't they safeguard Chen Xi? Who is holding them accountable for their corruption issues?

It is clear that Xi Jinping and his faction are not in control. Does this suggest that Xi has not fully consolidated power and does not genuinely dominate the political landscape? Could it imply that the internal power struggles within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are much more intense than what outsiders perceive? This might explain the unusual statements from the CCP's second-in-command Li Qiang, third-in-command Zhao Leji, fourth-in-command Wang Huning, and senior officials of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. It could also clarify why reports from various branches of the CCP military and different war zones over the past few months regarding the brainwashing campaign to 'establish a correct view of achievements' have completely omitted any mention of 'Chairman Xi'.

Notably, on June 3, the front page of the CCP's military newspaper and the military network's report on the Beijing Garrison's initiative to 'correct deviations in the view of achievements' did not mention 'Chairman Xi' or express any loyalty to him. The Beijing Garrison, which is under the command of the CCP's Army Headquarters and directly overseen by the Central Military Commission, is primarily responsible for ensuring the safety of the capital and protecting CCP leaders. The commander of the Beijing Garrison is traditionally appointed by the chairman of the CCP Military Commission, who selects someone he trusts. The Beijing Garrison's omission of 'Chairman Xi' raises questions about whether he truly holds power.

On June 7, another strange event occurred within the CCP military. The latest issue of the 'PLA Pictorial,' released that day, once again excluded Xi Jinping. The cover featured an image of the 'Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft launch' instead of Xi's portrait, and there were no reports of Xi's activities in any of the magazine's sections. This is quite unusual!

The "Liberation Army Pictorial," affiliated with the News Communication Centre of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) People's Liberation Army (PLA), has its roots in the "Red Star Pictorial" from the CCP's earlier turmoil and the "Jin-Cha-Ji Pictorial" during the War of Resistance. It was officially launched in February 1951, with a new issue published each month.

According to its self-description, the "Liberation Army Pictorial" "has always firmly upheld the public opinion front of the Party and the military" and "vigorously promotes the great achievements of the military's strengthening and development practices." This commitment has led to it being recognised as the annual "Best Pictorial" by the China Pictorial Association for many consecutive years. As one of the CCP military's mouthpieces, the pictorial also provides insight into changes in Xi Jinping's status.

Typically, the publication date of the monthly "Liberation Army Pictorial" is not in the current month but in the following month. Following the news of Xi's stroke and power transfer during the CCP's Third Plenary Session in July 2024, the cover of the August issue, which was the seventh issue, featured the absence of Xi Jinping's photo, replaced by an image of a military helicopter. The covers of the subsequent eighth and ninth issues also did not include Xi's photo. However, from September to November, Xi's photo reappeared on the cover of the "Pictorial," primarily due to his significant activities during those three months, only to disappear again in December.

As we move into 2026, the covers of the Pictorial from January to April all featured Xi's photo, but the May issue has suddenly shown a change. Is this due to Xi having no significant activities in May? Or has there been some shift within the military?

The changes in the cover photos of the 'Liberation Army Pictorial' clearly reflect the current political climate. In recent years, particularly since Xi Jinping has consolidated his power during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and adopted a path of 'one supreme leader', the format used by official and military media to promote Xi has become highly formulaic. As a key military publication, the 'Pictorial' consistently emphasises the importance of 'listening to Chairman Xi's words'. Consequently, unless in exceptional circumstances, the cover of the Pictorial predominantly features photos of Xi speaking at various significant events.

For the issues of the Pictorial from January to June 2024, only the May issue showcases the cover photo of the Chinese Communist Party's aircraft carrier Fujian, while the remaining covers are all dedicated to Xi. The maiden voyage of the Fujian is indeed a momentous event for the Communist Party. However, following Xi's incident in July, the Pictorial refrained from publishing any photos of Xi for three consecutive issues, which undoubtedly indicates the turmoil within the Communist Party and the military, leaving the editors in a state of uncertainty.

In the aftermath, to safeguard the party, the Communist Party's leadership ultimately decided to allow Xi to continue appearing in public, albeit with a reduction in the tone of propaganda reports. This shift has also influenced the Pictorial, where Xi's presence on the cover has varied, likely in response to these developments.

After Xi dismissed Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli in January, Xi's military proxy and newly appointed Vice Chairman of the Military Commission Zhang Shengmin launched a new wave of purges and loyalty campaigns within the military. This explains why the covers of the Pictorial from January to April featured only photos of Xi, with reports about him included in every issue.

However, the recently published May issue of the Pictorial has once again undergone a transformation: there is no image of Xi on the cover, and the content lacks significant news reports about him. What could be the reason behind this change?

According to state media reports, Xi Jinping has engaged in several foreign affairs activities in May, including meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with various directives, phone calls, and letters. Finding a cover story about Xi's activities is not particularly challenging. Thus, is Xi being 'shelved' due to recent changes within the military and the upper ranks of the Communist Party? Is it because Zhang Shengmin is struggling to manage the military? Could this be linked to the crisis involving members of the 'Fujian Gang' and the further erosion of Xi's power? 

(First published in People News) △