An insider within the CCP system who requested anonymity told The Epoch Times on Wednesday, August 12: “Zhu Rongji was surrounded by security guards, secretaries, doctors, and nurses arranged by Cai Qi, director of the CCP General Office. His every move was monitored, and even his medical treatment in his later years required Cai Qi’s approval.”
The insider said that, unlike Li Keqiang, Zhu had remained relatively “obedient.”
“After Zhu retired, he completely lost his former edge, so he lived to the age of 98. By contrast, Li Keqiang ‘didn’t listen,’ and he was gone at 68,” the source said.
Previously, The Wall Street Journal published an article on March 15, 2022, titled “China’s Economic Slowdown Exposes Cracks in Xi Jinping’s Power,” citing CCP insiders who said that several retired senior CCP figures who still retained political influence had openly opposed Xi Jinping’s intention to break with the established succession system. Zhu Rongji was reportedly among those opposed.
On October 18, 2017, the CCP’s 19th National Congress opened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. After Xi Jinping finished delivering a report lasting about three and a half hours, he turned and bowed, while the audience stood and applauded. Zhu Rongji, the former premier seated on the rostrum, did not applaud along with the others. The video prompted speculation that his “attitude was subtle” or carried some deeper meaning. Others, however, argued that such interpretations went too far.
Top Leadership Fears Public Discontent Could Erupt Through Mourning
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