Information circulated online suggests that the penalty might be related to Bright Diary’s advertising slogan, “please give me bright,” and it may also be a result of CCP infighting between the Xi Jinping faction and the Jiang Zemin faction.

The plan was to eradicate the popular meditation practice in three months—in time for the party chair at the time, Jiang Zemin, to claim a victory before the Party's National Congress in the fall.

It quickly rose to popularity but became a target for persecution when former CCP leader Jiang Zemin realized there were more Falun Gong practitioners in China than Communist Party members—an estimated 100 million people.

Fearful of the soaring popularity of Falun Gong, former head of the CCP Jiang Zemin decided to initiate an unprecedented campaign of persecution on July 20, 1999, to eradicate the peaceful practice.

However, after former CCP leader Jiang Zemin launched a nationwide campaign of persecution to eradicate the peaceful practice in July 1999, countless law-abiding adherents were pronounced “state enemies” overnight, leading to mass arrests across China

A source within the Party’s headquarters in Beijing told The Epoch Times in 2017 that Xiao was being investigated for his close ties to an official known for his loyalty to former Party leader Jiang Zemin.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) talks to former leader Jiang Zemin (R) during the closing of the 19th Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Oct. 24, 2017.

Since July 20, 1999, on the orders of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin, the communist regime has systematically tortured practitioners to force them into renouncing their faith.

She was mayor of San Francisco in 1978 when she first met then-mayor of Shanghai Jiang Zemin. She spoke openly of their friendship, and thus rationalized his atrocities after the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

In addition, Wang has worked for former Chinese leaders Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. During Jiang’s tenure, Wang was promoted to work in the central government on strong recommendations from Zeng Qinghong and Luo Gan. 

Zhou added: “Then-serving CMC vice chairs Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, both confidants of Jiang Zemin, are the two most likely candidates.”

Many proteges of the former CCP leader Jiang Zemin were also affected. Therefore, Xi has created a lot of enemies within the Party.

Liu Chuanzhi's Family Behind Didi Liu Chuanzhi made his fortune during the reign of former communist leader Jiang Zemin, and the Lenovo Group has close relationships with the CCP's military.

Falun Gong was initially practised by Han Chinese, the same race as then party leader Jiang Zemin, and the officials who set up and enforced the persecution.

They held colorful giant banners, with phrases such as “The World Needs Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance,” “Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong,” and “Put Jiang Zemin on Trial.”

The firm was founded in 2010 by Louis Cheung, former president of Ping An Insurance; Mary Ma, the former CFO of Legend Holdings and main shareholder of Lenovo; and Alvin Jiang, grandson of former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin.

It was banned in July 1999 on orders of then-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin.

Fearing that the practice’s enormous popularity would threaten Party rule, then-paramount leader Jiang Zemin launched nationwide persecution on July 20, 1999.

Many Chinese officials, including Jiang Zemin, have been sued in absentia for their roles in the persecution.

It clearly stipulated that "political and legal departments at all levels must resolutely implement the important instructions of” then Party leader Jiang Zemin to crack down on Falun Gong, and listed various charges and punishments targeting different

With nearly one in every 13 Chinese people practicing, then-Chinese Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin considered the group’s enormous popularity a threat to the Party’s rule.

Xi has ousted many powerful officials—most of them part of an enemy faction loyal to former leader Jiang Zemin. The Epoch Times contributed to this report.

–China dispute, showing that Xi made compromises to the rival faction that is loyal to former Party leader Jiang Zemin,” said U.S.-based China affairs commentator, Tang Jingyuan. The Jiang faction is the Xi camp’s chief political rivals.

Zemin.

The 610 Office was established by then-party leader Jiang Zemin on June 10, 1999, to persecute and eradicate Falun Gong. It operates similar to Nazi Germany’s Gestapo.

In 2012, Xi launched an anti-corruption campaign targeting his political rivals—namely, those with ties or links to a faction loyal to former Party leader Jiang Zemin.

The repression, ordered by then-Party leader Jiang Zemin, commenced that July and was the biggest mass campaign the regime had mounted since the Cultural Revolution.

Sources close to the Chinese Communist Party leadership told The Epoch Times back in June 2017 that Wu had ties to the family of Zeng Qinghong, the former Chinese vice premier and right-hand man to former Party leader Jiang Zemin.

Lu had connections with Ling Jihua, a former top political advisor and known member of the “Jiang faction,” those officials still loyal to Jiang Zemin.