Xi Moves to Smear Zhang Youxia as Troop Movements Point to Internal Conflict

By Li Jingyao, Vision Times

Beijing’s political atmosphere remains highly volatile following the Jan. 24 announcement that Politburo member and Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, along with Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli, is under investigation. After several days out of public view, Chinese Preisdent Xi Jinping reappeared on Jan. 27, meeting visiting Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo — a move widely interpreted as a signal that Xi remains in control.

Analysts say Xi’s public reemergence could have been “carefully choreographed.” State media released only a brief, one-sentence photo report, a minimalist approach intended to project stability at a moment of deep uncertainty.

RELATED: Zhang Youxia Reportedly Detained, Signaling Deeper Xi-Led PLA Purge

Li Muyang, host of “News Highlights,” noted that the tactic mirrors the terse announcement of Zhang’s investigation itself. “The message is directed both outward and inward,” Li said. “It tells the world Xi is still in charge, and warns military commanders not to act rashly.”

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Yet Li added that in Chinese politics, “the louder the reassurance, the weaker the actual grip.” Xi’s need to visibly demonstrate control suggests the situation inside Zhongnanhai remains unstable.

Silence from the military

Despite Xi’s signaling, unusual anomalies have emerged. Zhang Youxia’s name and photograph remain on official government websites, and no Politburo members, senior ministers, or regional leaders have publicly voiced support for Xi’s actions.

More strikingly, none of the PLA’s five theater commands, service branches, or group armies have issued loyalty statements, a sharp departure from past purges involving figures such as Zhou Yongkang, Guo Boxiong, or Xu Caihou, when military endorsements came swiftly and in unison.

“The military’s silence is dangerous for Xi,” Li said. “Silence is a stance. It suggests resistance, or at minimum, refusal to cooperate.”

RELATED: Zhang Youxia Accused of Leaking China’s Nuclear Secrets to the United States

Political commentator Mei Lingshuang cited a retired provincial official who said senior cadres were instructed on Jan. 24 to watch the evening state media’s “CCTV Evening News” for an expected major announcement, yet no mention of Zhang or Liu aired that night. Even the following day, CCTV avoided the topic, airing only excerpts from a PLA Daily anti-corruption editorial that named Zhang and Liu.

Mei concluded that apart from Xi’s inner circle, senior officials appear unwilling to openly take sides, fearing both retaliation and the collapse of existing political norms.

Troops heading for Beijing?

Several reports circulating on X have further intensified speculation. Some users claim elements of the 82nd Group Army, based in Baoding, Hebei Province, are moving toward Beijing, with armored vehicles reportedly assembling along key routes.

Blogger Xie Wanjun wrote that forces aligned with both Xi and Zhang are converging in and around the capital, with command centers operating in close proximity. On Jan. 28, Xie added that the Central Guard Bureau and Beijing Garrison had entered Level One combat readiness, preparing to defend the city while attempting to delay incoming field armies by closing highways and restricting access routes.

These claims remain unconfirmed, but analysts note that even rumors of such movements underscore the depth of internal distrust.

Following Zhang’s detention, Beijing launched what critics describe as a coordinated international propaganda effort to legitimize the crackdown. On Jan. 25, “The Wall Street Journal” reported, citing unnamed sources, that Zhang had leaked nuclear secrets to the United States and accepted bribes to help former defense minister Li Shangfu secure promotion.

Justifying the purges

Independent commentator Cai Shenkun rejected the claims, writing on X: “The Wall Street Journal appears to be playing the role of the largest overseas rumor mill, but in reality has become a top-tier external propaganda mouthpiece. The allegations make no logical sense. What could the U.S. possibly offer Zhang Youxia in exchange? Does anyone seriously believe he would risk everything for a few million, or even a few billion, dollars?”

RELATED: The Vanishing CCDI Notice: What Zhang Youxia’s ‘Deleted’ Purge Reveals About Xi Jinping’s Deepening Crisis

Former Sankei Shimbun Beijing correspondent Akio Yaita echoed those doubts, calling the report a classic case of “exporting propaganda for re-import.”

“In Chinese political tradition, corruption is never the most lethal charge; treason is,” Yaita wrote. “Peng Dehuai was accused of colluding with the Soviets; Zhao Ziyang was painted as tied to foreign forces. Labeling Zhang a traitor is not about truth, but about silencing sympathy.” Yaita added that it is implausible foreign journalists could independently uncover such sensitive information so soon after Zhang’s fall: “These details are usually not investigated; they are fed.”

Former CIA official and Georgetown University professor Dennis Wilder told Bloomberg TV that the accusations lack credibility and instead reflect Xi’s paranoia. “Xi fears anyone who holds real power,” Wilder said. “This looks like an effort to use every tool available to neutralize a perceived threat.”

A structural breakdown

Commentator Wen Zhao warned that with the 21st Party Congress little more than a year away, Xi may struggle to fill the vacant CMC posts with figures he both trusts and considers competent. “A year is long enough for people to get used to a weakened, or even sidelined, Central Military Commission,” Wen said. “That creates unprecedented structural instability.”

He added that Zhang’s case could implicate many officers, further paralyzing the system.

“When a building’s foundation tilts, fractures can occur anywhere,” Wen concluded. “The arrest of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli may prove to be a critical step toward the CCP’s de facto disintegration.”