Wen Jiabao's Political Bureau Meeting Shakes the Table: 'Avenge Hu, Rehabilitate Li'

Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

[People News] This is not just an ordinary meeting summary; it is a volcanic-level revelation that could alter the trajectory of the Chinese Communist Party's history.

According to a report by Jiang Feng, within the red walls of Beijing, an expanded Political Bureau meeting was initially meant for veteran comrades to share their thoughts and ideas. However, a former premier who had been in retirement for a decade unexpectedly spoke up, transforming the meeting into one of the most dramatic political moments in the history of the CCP's power struggles.

The speaker was Wen Jiabao. He slammed the table and declared—Hu Jintao being escorted away at the 20th National Congress was a coup; the circumstances surrounding Li Keqiang's death must be thoroughly investigated.

The room fell silent for three seconds before erupting into applause. In that moment, many finally realised: this long-standing power game was about to be turned on its head.

This marked the beginning of the call to 'Avenge Hu, Rehabilitate Li.'

Let’s rewind to October 2022, during the 20th National Congress of the CCP. Former General Secretary Hu Jintao noticed that the list of attendees on the podium had been altered without authorisation. Just as he was about to raise a question, he was suddenly escorted out of the venue, with the entire incident broadcast live by Xinhua News Agency for the world to witness. The public was in an uproar; what was happening? Did the leader suddenly fall ill? Or was there a last-minute change to the agenda? Speculations ran rampant.

Now, Wen Jiabao has personally clarified the situation—there was no health issue; it was a blatant coup that violated political norms.

He stated that Xi Jinping had personally promised before the 20th National Congress that Hu Chunhua must be a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and succeed as Premier of the State Council. However, when the final list was announced, Hu Chunhua was not only excluded from the Standing Committee but was also not even a member of the Politburo.

Wen Jiabao (Wēn Jiābǎo) then quietly remarked, a statement that struck like thunder on a clear day: even Mao Zedong (Máo Zédōng) never acted this way during the most tumultuous times.

Wen Jiabao expressed his deep frustration, stating that he genuinely wanted to stand up and leave alongside Hu Jintao (Hú Jìntāo), but to avoid becoming a laughingstock internationally, he had to endure the discomfort and remain seated until the meeting concluded.

In fact, prior to the 20th National Congress, the notion of 'Xi down, Li up' was not unfounded. At that time, there was considerable discontent within the party regarding Xi Jinping's (Xí Jìnpíng) ambition for re-election at the 20th National Congress. During the Beidaihe meeting, after extensive discussions, the party elders reached a consensus: Xi Jinping would relinquish his roles as General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, allowing Li Keqiang (Lǐ Kèqiáng) to take over. Xi Jinping verbally agreed, and for the first time, CCTV aired Li Keqiang's speech in Guangdong, where he stated: 'The waters of the Yellow River and Yangtze River cannot flow backwards, and the door to reform and opening up will not close.'

However, that year, Xi Jinping had built substantial military power through years of anti-corruption campaigns and purging dissenters within the military. Ultimately, he resorted to deceptive tactics, with the backing of military heavyweights like Zhang Youxia (Zhāng Yòuxiá), to execute what Wen Jiabao described as a 'coup that undermined political norms' during the 20th National Congress!