Second Most Trusted Military Aide Dies – Grim Outlook for Xi Jinping

The 46th prophecy in Tui Bei Tu reads: "A soldier carries a bow, claiming to be an old white-haired man. A golden sword is hidden behind the eastern gate, and a warrior enters the imperial palace through the back door." This has been interpreted as predicting the overthrow of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by insiders. (Screenshot from the web.)

[People News] Since disappearing after the conclusion of the “Two Sessions” in March this year, Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman He Weidong is widely believed to have fallen from grace. The latest news suggests he has taken his own life. In the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), suicides among top officials are extremely sensitive. If He Weidong is indeed dead, what does this mean?

Reports Claim Both He Weidong and He Hongjun Have Died

Independent commentator Cai Shenkun revealed in a video program on May 24 that He Weidong “is gone”—dead. He stated that He had been detained after the end of the Two Sessions and was initially interrogated at 301 Hospital, later moved to Baoding for custody. Oddly, by mid-May, all the guards assigned to watch him had returned to Beijing, and even the cook assigned to him had also gone back.

“The latest news is that He Weidong died earlier than He Hongjun. The exact date was May 2, and the place was also 301 Hospital.”

On May 19, Cai Shenkun had already posted on X (formerly Twitter) that General He Hongjun, Executive Deputy Director of the CMC’s Political Work Department, had committed suicide while under investigation and died after emergency treatment failed at 301 Hospital on May 18.

According to Cai, He Weidong also died by suicide, less than two months after reportedly being detained following the closing of the National People’s Congress on March 11.

In recent years, the Chinese military has seen continuous purges, frequently revealed by overseas sources. Commentators like Cai Shenkun, former Chinese journalist Zhao Lanjian, and former PLA Navy lieutenant Yao Cheng have made accurate predictions about the fall of CCP officials.

Mysterious Deaths Among CCP Top Brass Becoming More Frequent

Since Xi Jinping came to power, intra-party strife has intensified, and there have been numerous unusual deaths among senior officials. Public acknowledgement of suicide at high levels is extremely rare. Only one case—General Zhang Yang, then Director of the CMC Political Work Department, in 2017—has been officially declared a suicide. However, other top officials have reportedly died by suicide, even though the official explanation was “illness.” These include: Ren Xuefeng, Chongqing Deputy Party Secretary (2019); Liao Guoxun, Tianjin Mayor (2022).

Since 2023, the frequency of such mysterious deaths has surged:

In July 2023, former Rocket Force Deputy Commander Wu Guohua was said to have died of illness. But Major General Zhang Xiaoyang, son of former CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Zhen, revealed that Wu hanged himself in his bathroom. In the same month, Wang Shaojun, former head of the Central Security Bureau, died. State media delayed reporting his death by three months, leading to speculation.

Qin Gang, dismissed as Foreign Minister in July 2023, remains missing. Rumours suggest he may be dead. Gao Zhikai, translator for Deng Xiaoping, said to the foreign press: “You will never see him again.”

Former Premier Li Keqiang suddenly died in October 2023 in Shanghai. Speculation of foul play spread widely. Gu Wanming, a former senior Xinhua editor who questioned Li’s cause of death, was sentenced to one year in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”

On December 10, 2024, Yu Jianhua, head of China’s General Administration of Customs, reportedly died from a “sudden illness,” though rumours say he committed suicide in his office.

The CCP is known for secretly executing or “internally handling” officials. Zhou Guogang, a former bureau-level official now in the U.S., once recounted a lecture by a CMC official stating that many officials are sentenced to death each year but never publicly announced.

Australian-based scholar Yuan Hongbing recently told The Epoch Times that the two most brutal punishments for fallen PLA officers are: 1. Sleep Deprivation – Detainees are placed in a locked room. When they begin to fall asleep, guards bang on the metal doors with hammers. Most people mentally break down after five days. 2. “Living Coffin” Isolation – A pitch-dark, coffin-sized cell with only a small skylight through which food is dropped. Inmates must eat, sleep, and defecate in the same tiny space. There’s a drainage trench for waste. Most confess everything within seven days. He explained that officers from the political departments know these methods well, so many choose suicide over enduring torture.

The CCP, with its atheist and Darwinist ideology, reduces human life to mere protein, making murder easier to rationalise. The surge in suicides and cover-ups of scandals only reveals the bloodthirsty and secretive nature of CCP infighting. Anyone within the system can become a sacrificial pawn in its authoritarian meat grinder.

Aide After Aide Falls – Bad Signs for Xi

The recent wave of suicide rumours coincides with growing speculation about Xi Jinping’s weakening grip on power. Since 2023, most purges within the military have targeted Xi’s faction.

In November 2023, Xi’s top military confidant, General Miao Hua—CMC member and Political Work Department head—was officially removed. In March 2025, He Weidong, considered Xi’s second most trusted military aide, was reportedly detained. At the 20th Party Congress, Xi had promoted He unusually rapidly, making him both a Politburo member and CMC vice chairman.

Both Miao and He Weidong had been close to Xi since his days in Fujian province. While He’s rank was higher, Miao was regarded as Xi’s #1 military loyalist because Xi trusted him earlier. Miao, as head of military personnel, controlled promotions, which had to pass through him before reaching Xi. It’s said He’s 20th Congress promotion came via a corrupt deal with Miao.

After Miao’s fall, many of Xi’s military protégés were reportedly investigated, including He Hongjun and He Weidong. If these men—handpicked and elevated by Xi himself, have truly died by suicide, what does this signify?

The author believes it supports rumours that CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, backed by CCP elders, is leading a purge of Xi’s faction. The harsh treatment of He Weidong and He Hongjun shows Zhang has no mercy, signalling disdain for Xi. Their suicides were not to protect Xi, but due to unbearable psychological and physical torture.

Rumours of elite discussions about removing Xi have been swirling. The 4th Plenum this autumn could be a pivotal moment.

The famous Chinese prophetic text Tui Bei Tu, in its 46th image, speaks of: “A military man carries a bow, Proclaims himself the white-haired man. A golden sword is hidden in the east gate, A warrior enters the imperial palace through the back.” Many interpret this as a prophecy of a power shift during Xi’s era. Earlier speculation suggested that Zhang Youxia, whose name contains the character for “bow” (弓), is the figure described. If that’s true, Xi may soon face grave danger. 

(Source: Dajiyuan)