As Beijing’s rubber-stamp National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee concluded its meeting on April 30, Gen. Zhang Youxia, who was purged from his role by regime leader Xi Jinping in January, still holds his representative position in the NPC and the official roles in the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission—at least according to the regime’s official website.
However, Zhang hasn’t been seen in public since mid-January, and he was absent from the meeting.
Meanwhile, the conclusion of the investigation against Zhang hasn’t been disclosed since it was announced in January.
Insiders told The Epoch Times that this unusual situation stems from Xi being unable to secure the majority votes in the NPC meetings since January to legitimize his purge of Zhang within the Party, as there are 3 conflicting stances toward Zhang’s case amid ongoing infighting with the upper echelons.
The 22nd Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), which began on April 27, concluded on April 30 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The routine meeting approved some personnel changes and discussed regular Party operations.
The members voted to adopt the report submitted by the NPC Standing Committee’s Credentials Committee on the qualifications of individual representatives. Members also voted to remove Feng Yi from the post of deputy secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee. According to state media Xinhua, other appointments and removals were approved, but there was no mention of Zhang’s NPC qualification or other official positions, and no further details were provided.
Zheng Ze, a retired official who previously oversaw legal affairs at the NPC Standing Committee and used a pseudonym out of fear of reprisal from the Chinese regime, said that the avoidance of direct identification and the reliance on general language suggest that the personnel changes are still in a sensitive, undisclosed stage.
“Compared to past instances in which the downfall of high-ranking generals or officials was announced by name, this distinct difference indicates that the underlying circumstances of Zhang’s case may be considerably more complex,” Zheng told The Epoch Times.
Under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) protocol, when an official is under disciplinary investigation, the process to revoke their NPC representative status usually begins at the same time. However, Zheng said that the Zhang case is facing resistance from mid-level military officials, which is affecting the pace at which the top leadership moves toward a final resolution.
3 Distinct Viewpoints
Wang Dayou, an insider with close ties to the Chinese military who used a pseudonym out of fear of reprisal, told The Epoch Times that more than three months have passed since the CCP officially announced that it had opened an investigation into Zhang and Gen. Liu Zhenli, and that three distinct viewpoints have emerged within the Standing Committee of the CCP’s Politburo.
The Politburo is headed by CCP leader Xi Jinping and it oversees the Party and the central government.
“The first viewpoint advocates for the immediate transfer of Zhang and Liu to the Central Military Commission’s Disciplinary Inspection Commission, their expulsion from both the Party and the military, and their simultaneous removal as representatives to the National People’s Congress,” Wang said.
“The second viewpoint maintains that the handling of generals of such high rank must strictly adhere to the Party Constitution, and that no hasty decisions should be made until the facts of the case have been thoroughly established.
“The third viewpoint represents the ‘centrists’—those who wish to avoid offending anyone; yet, in reality, they have already alienated the faction pushing for Zhang’s removal. As for who this individual behind the faction is … well, you know [who it is],” he said, indirectly referring to Xi.
On Jan. 24, CCP authorities announced that Zhang—a member of the CCP Central Committee’s Politburo and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC)—and Liu Zhenli—a member of the CMC and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC—were under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
On the same day, the official mouthpiece of the People’s Liberation Army published an editorial on its website criticizing Zhang and Liu for “seriously violating and undermining the system of responsibility under the Chairman of the Central Military Commission and endangering the foundation of the CCP’s rule.”
Since then, the NPC held a few meetings and removed some officials’ and generals’ representative qualifications, but not those of Zhang and Liu.
According to Zheng and Wang, given that an official investigation has already been formally initiated—and the military’s official mouthpiece has already issued a highly political characterization of the matter—the fact that Zhang has yet to enter the procedural process for the revocation of his NPC representative status serves as a key indicator of power struggles within the CCP’s top leadership.
Qin Song, an observer with connections within the CCP’s military who used a pseudonym out of fear of reprisal, told The Epoch Times that he expects the cases involving Zhang and Liu to be resolved imminently.
“Although there are differing views among members of the Politburo Standing Committee regarding Zhang’s case, everyone is in the same boat; if the matter continues to drag on, the external repercussions would be extremely negative,” he said.
“I have heard that Xi Jinping’s camp hopes to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. However, there are currently opposing opinions at the major-general level, whereas the ranks of general and lieutenant-general have already been largely dealt with by Xi.”
Since the CCP’s 20th Congress in 2022, when Xi secured a third term as the CCP’s top leader, there has been controversy and resentment within the Party. During this time, Xi purged many of the PLA’s top generals, including most members of the CMC, whom he suspected of disloyalty.
Sun Chen contributed to this report.
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