Military Newspaper Reveals Xi Jinping's Waning Control Over Military Power

The Second-Generation Red Nobility Stages a Coup, Xi is Panicked. (People News Illustration)

People News - When Xi Jinping is in Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) state media, including military outlets, consistently highlight his leadership in their articles. However, during Xi’s recent visits to Peru and Brazil, the tone of military media shifted abruptly, focusing instead on "studying the spirit of the 20th CCP Central Committee’s Third Plenum" while omitting Xi's name entirely. This subtle shift has drawn significant attention. Analysts suggest that the stark differences in military reporting before and after Xi's departure reflect intense power struggles between pro-Xi and anti-Xi factions, with profound implications.

Xi Jinping is currently attending the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Summit and conducting state visits to Peru and Brazil. He arrived in Lima, Peru, on November 14.

Before Xi left Beijing, the CCP’s military newspaper, PLA Daily, published articles on November 13 and 14 detailing how the Beijing Garrison Party Committee and the Logistics Support Brigade of the Armed Police organized sessions to study Xi's speeches. The articles emphasized the need to "cherish integrity as one cherishes life."

However, on November 15, the day after Xi landed in Peru, the PLA Daily front page featured an article about the 78th Group Army’s study of the spirit of the 20th Central Committee’s Third Plenum. The nine-paragraph article notably excluded any mention of Xi Jinping's name.

U.S.-based political commentator Chen Pokong noted on November 16 that the military newspaper's narrative shifted immediately after Xi left Beijing. Chen pointed out the contrast between articles emphasizing the Central Military Commission (CMC) Political Work Conference — which Xi led — and the Third Plenum, rumored to have taken place while Xi was incapacitated due to a stroke. The PLA Daily's emphasis on the Third Plenum instead of the CMC conference, combined with its mention of the 78th Group Army, subtly signals tension, potentially tied to Zhang Youxia’s influence. Chen observed that the PLA Daily's shift in tone reflects a "shadow play of swords and knives," indicating fierce rivalry between Xi’s allies and his opponents.

The November 15 article mentioned the 78th Group Army, which has close ties to Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CMC. The former commander of the 78th Group Army, Wu Yanan, was reportedly handpicked by Zhang.

Independent commentator Xiang Yang posted on social media on October 14 that in August this year, commanders in three of the CCP's five military regions were replaced, with Zhang Youxia orchestrating these changes. Two commanders considered close to Xi — Wang Xiubin, former commander of the Southern Theater Command, and Wang Qiang, an air force general who took over the Northern Theater Command shortly before the 20th CCP Congress — were both dismissed. Their successors, Huang Ming and Wu Yanan, were protégés of Zhang Youxia from his time leading the Shenyang Military Region.

Many political analysts believe that the current military landscape shows a coalition of "Red Second Generation" elites and Zhang Youxia working to strip Xi Jinping of his military authority. This has resulted in two factions confronting each other, escalating tensions within the military hierarchy.