The return of Liu Yuan: The red princeling Xi fears most

Hello, everyone. Hi. Well, Lei actually starts right on time for a change. Okay, welcome to Lei's World Talk. All right. I was chatting with my fans. All right. Okay, Jenna Ma. I have a friend whose name is Jenna Ma. So, okay, it's almost the end of July, and we're also approaching the CCP's monthly Politburo meeting. And according to Hong Kong's Xindiao Daily, an official announcement about Admiral Miao Hua's crimes is expected after this July's Politburo meeting. Meanwhile, factions along with Xi Jinping, Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, Zhang Youxia, the Princelings, and Jiang Zemin, Zhen Qinghong camp are all making a last-ditch effort to shape the future leadership of China. Remember on Tuesday, I told you Xi Jinping's camp had cranked up its PR push, this time with help from Western media. I pointed to The Economist article that tried to explain Xi Jinping's low profile as a strategic recalibration of leadership style. And I said, don't be surprised if other outlets follow this similar spin. Sure enough, two days later, The Wall Street Journal delivered, and their headline, China's Xi Jinping gives up air miles for more time at home. Okay, where's that article? I have it here. Yeah, there it is. And the subheadline, it says, the peripatetic statesman has scaled back travel plans and skipped some key summits, but continues active diplomacy as a host. Wait a minute, Xi Jinping, the peripatetic statesman? And what are they even saying? Well, I consider myself well-educated and professionally trained, but over the past four years, maybe five years, I've realized that we're living in an upside-down world where rednecks routinely outsmart white-collar experts. Common sense now beats corporate consulting. And yes, social media gossip often proves more reliable than mainstream reporting. If I had to choose again, I wouldn't mind being a redneck. Because once someone or some institution gets too attached to their credentials or polished professionalism, those very accomplishments become blinders. Rednecks do not have this problem. Which brings me back to the timing of these two articles. They dropped right before the CCP's annual Beidaihe summer outing or retreat, which is probably the conclave that Treasury Secretary Scott Besant referred to. Coincidence? Or did someone at Zhongnanhai pick up the phone and say, we've got some talking points for your next piece on Xi Jinping, and please follow. So what exactly is happening inside the CCP leadership compound this week? Some very interesting things have happened. You wouldn't believe it. Two sources review that the PLA is now studying selected works of Mao Zedong that immediately raised concerns. Has Xi Jinping regained control of the military? Some say yes. Because this signals a shift back to cultural revolution style politics. The ultra leftist move got to come from Xi Jinping. But others disagree. They think it's a clever maneuver by Zhang Youxia. After all, Xi has never truly promoted Mao. He only promotes himself. If he were behind this campaign, it would be all about Xi Jinping's strong military thought and not Mao Zedong's thought. And since no CCP leader after Mao, not Deng Xiaoping, not Jiang Zemin or Hu Jintao, ever developed a formal military doctrine, if the army wants to reject Xi Jinping's thought, then Mao is the only viable fallback. So maybe what we're seeing is Zhang Youxia elevating Mao Zedong to push Xi Jinping aside. It sounds counterintuitive, I know, but this kind of move is classic CCP. It's called using poison to counter poison. In Chinese, it's yi du gong du. Just when I thought this was what's happening, more revelations came out. It turns out the mastermind behind the elevate Mao to suppress Xi strategy is someone even higher up. A heavyweight in the CCP's elite, a red princeling, a retired general, once seen as a political star in the party. And now some believe he could become the next leader of China. His name, General Liu Yuan, son of former president Liu Shaoqi and a formidable princeling with deep revolutionary roots. Let me see his picture. Oh, no. There we go. So today, let's talk about who Liu Yuan is and the role he might play in the next chapter of the CCP regime. By the way, if you want to get the most updated information about CCP politics, please subscribe. Some people told me that they're not getting any videos from me, recommended from YouTube, or not as many as before. So just make sure you subscribe so we're connected. Alright. Now, if you've been closely tracking the flood of rumors, reports, and leaks coming out of China, a trend may have caught your eye. Have you noticed that two men who were once hyped as China's next leadership duo have gone conspicuously quiet? Who are they? There they are, Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua. Just about six weeks ago, Wang Yang was widely expected to replace Xi Jinping as party leader, and Hu Chunhua slated to become his premier or the next premier. But now, radio silence. And when even CCP rumor mills go quiet, that usually means something is up. Are they laying low strategically, waiting for the right moment? According to the latest whispers, that answer is no. The two have reportedly decided to lie flat and bow out entirely. Some say they declined an invitation from the party elders to step into top leadership roles. I cannot confirm these claims, but in the scheme of things, I think it made a lot of sense. So hopefully, by the end of my talk, you will see why. I dismissed this rumor initially, but when I was looking into everything that's said about Liu Yuan, I think it ties perfectly with what people are saying about Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua. Now, if you remember my previous program, one of Wang Yang's conditions was clear. He would only take the job, or the top job, if he were allowed to control the military. Otherwise, he risked becoming the next Zhao Ziyang, powerless and short-lived. But the question is, would Zhang Youxia ever allow that? Probably not. Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua understood without controlling the military, their titles are meaningless. So they're clever to bow out. And that leaves Zhang Youxia with a problem. Because Zhang has no intention to become the top leader, to run the party. He just wants to control the military. This means that he and the party elders need someone else fast. Now, two separate sources have independently pointed to one man, one name, and that's Liu Yuan. And more details are emerging. With the PLA undergoing sweeping internal purge, the direction of the military in the post-Xi Jinping era could determine the future of the regime. So to avoid chaos, it's said that Zhang Youxia, Hu Jintao, and Wen Jiabao have reached a consensus. These three. They have decided to bring retired General Liu Yuan back. He would temporarily assume the role of vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, overseeing political affairs, essentially replacing He Weidong, the vice chairman who has disappeared since March. So he would temporarily fill that position, at least for now. Sources also claim the ongoing military purge is directly aimed at Xi Jinping and his loyalists. And what about Liu Yuan's plan? What is he going to do in that position? Well, according to the leak, his strategy is to emulate Deng Xiaoping, which is signal left, turn right. So while the PLA is now publicly studying Mao Zedong's selected work or Mao Zedong thought, the goal or the real goal isn't to revive the Cultural Revolution. It's a strategic move by Liu Yuan. It's what I told you earlier, using one poison to fight another. In other words, they're using Mao Zedong, a dead leader who no one dares criticize, to suppress a living one, Xi Jinping. Now Mao remains untouchable within the party politics. Invoking him allows the leadership to undercut Xi Jinping without directly confronting him. It's a calculated effort to dismantle the military foundation of Xi Jinping's personal power. And that just shows you that the internal power struggles within the PLA is still quite intense. Now, none of this can be independently verified, but the fact that multiple sources are pointing to the same details makes it hard to dismiss. And let's not forget, Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua have vanished from the spotlight, or have vanished from the rumor mills. And meanwhile, Zhang Youxia is in a risky position. He is the one who dethroned Xi Jinping. And if he fails to secure a successor, Xi could return with a vengeance. Now, if Liu Yuan does a good job as the second vice chairman of CMC, that starts as a temporary role, or what starts as a temporary role may eventually become something far bigger. And Zhang Youxia reportedly wants Liu Yuan to take over both top jobs, which are the party secretary general and the CMC's chairman, which are currently held by Xi Jinping, together with the title of president of China. So there is a great chance that General Liu Yuan might eventually replace Xi Jinping to be the next leader. And there are several reasons to say that. First, he's a heavyweight princeling. Now, in the world of red CCP aristocracy, pedigree matters. Liu's father, Liu Shaoqi, was president of China and ranked above Xi Jinping's father, who was only a vice premier. That alone gives Liu clout in princeling circles. Number two, he is the only leader with real experience in both the military and civilian spheres. Zhang Youxia is a pure military man with no government experience or governance experience. While Wang Yang is the opposite. He is all government, no military experience. Now, General Liu bridges both worlds, making him uniquely qualified to lead. And number three, he and Zhang Youxia are close friends. And most importantly, he doesn't get along with Xi Jinping. Back in 2015, General Liu was forced into retirement by Xi Jinping. Officially, it was over disagreements over military reform. But those who were close to the matter say the real reason was far more personal. Xi Jinping simply didn't trust Liu. He knew Liu was more competent and capable, and that made him jealous. So now let's talk about who Liu Yuan is. Because this man is likely to be China's next leader. So Liu Yuan is the son of former Chinese President Liu Shaoqi, who died a tragic death during the Cultural Revolution. Do I have a picture of his father? Where is his father? Oh, there we go. That's his father. Now, his crime, why was he purged? Or why was he tortured to death? Because he was being branded as the party's number one capitalist roader. Because his economic policies embraced market economy. So Liu Yuan, when his father died, when his father was persecuted, Liu Yuan and his two sisters were kicked out of their Zhongnanhai home and left homeless. He ended up in one of Shaanxi province's production brigades, where he spent seven years as a youth laborer. In 1975, he was the last of the Beijing youth in that village to return to the city. He found work as a riveter at the Beijing Crane Factory. And when the college entrance exams resumed in China in 1977, he was admitted to Beijing Normal College to study history. After graduation, he chose not to stay in Beijing, but went to work at the grassroots level, taking a post as deputy party secretary in a township in Henan. And according to Xi Jinping's own recollection, only two princelings from Beijing chose to go down to the grassroots, and that's Xi Jinping himself and Liu Yuan. Liu's career took off quickly. He was elected deputy county head. He first became deputy county party secretary and then county head, chief of the county. And he later became the deputy mayor of Zhengzhou, the provincial capital. And in early 1988, and during the 7th Henan Provincial People's Congress, he wasn't nominated by the party's organization department, but by the delegates themselves. And he was elected vice governor of Henan. That move broke protocol and caused quite a stir within the CCP, because this has not happened. Elections were not allowed within the CCP. They have to be appointed by the party's organizational department. But he won the election by the delegates. So that move was shocking to the central leadership. At the time, Zhao Ziyang was the general secretary of the party, and he supported the decision despite political pressure. So Liu became vice governor of Henan. Now he was ahead of Xi Jinping by six years in landing a major provincial leadership role. And another major difference between his career track and that of Xi Jinping is that Liu won by election of his peers and Xi Jinping by central government appointment. In 1989, when student protests broke out across the country, Liu sympathized with the students, but took his responsibilities seriously. As vice governor, he went to Tiananmen Square and Beijing train stations, working around the clock to persuade students from Henan to return home, and many did. He opposed the central government's decision to use force. And Henan was one of the few provinces whose leadership openly resisted the crackdown. That stance came at a cost. As a result, Liu's career came to a halt. With few options left, his mother, Wang Guangmei, who was considered China's most beautiful first lady in the 1950s, because Ms. Wang came from an affluent family and she was well-educated, unlike the wives of other CCP leaders. She came from an affluent family and was well-educated. So she was quite stylish when she accompanied her husband on foreign visits. And that caused Madame Mao quite jealous. Anyways, so her mother, I mean his mother, what am I saying? His mother brought him to meet General Yang Shangkun, then first vice chairman of the Central Military Commission for advice. And then Yang Shangkun offered Liu a way back by joining the military. So in May 1992, Liu Yuan was appointed deputy political commissar and deputy director of the armed police hydropower command. With the rank of major general, his first assignment was overseeing the massive Three Gorges Dam project. Because he had built strong ties in Henan, and when he left the province, many locals came to the Zhengzhou train station to see him off. And in 1998, he was promoted to deputy political commissar of the armed police. In 2000, he was I have a fan in the UK who loves to hear me say the word thousand correctly, not thousand, thousand. Ben, all right, I'm saying it right. You should be proud of me. Thousand, yes. So in the year 2000, he was made a lieutenant general. In 2003, he became political commissar of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences. In 2009, he was promoted to full general. And by the end of 2010, he was named political commissar of the PLA's General Logistics Department. At the time, military corruption was rampant. Buying and selling ranks, arms trafficking, embezzlement of military assets, kickbacks, it was all common practice. And there was something that happened that really upset General Liu Yuan. Major General Chen Zhijian, who is the son of a founding marshal Chen Gen, was even forced into early retirement for refusing to pay bribes for a promotion. And General Liu Yuan was outraged. So together with another general who was then head of logistics, they formally accused deputy logistics chief Gu Junshan of corruption. So on December 25th, 2011, at an extended CMC meeting, Liu Yuan presented shocking photos of Gu's extravagant mansion, pointing directly at the two vice chairmen backing Gu, Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong. They're probably the most... What happened? I have some pictures missing anyways, but they're okay. They're probably the most corrupt vice chairman of CMC ever. And both of them were part of the Jiang Zemin faction. So then what happened was quite dramatic. With the backing of then party chief Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, a full investigation was launched. And over the next six months, General Liu survived four assassination attempts from the Jiang Zemin faction. He was burned but survived. And his whistleblowing cracked open the military's corruption or corruptive practices and triggered a sweeping anti-corruption campaign inside the PLA. And then came Xi Jinping, who capitalized on the momentum from Liu Yuan's campaign to purge the corrupted officers and their entire network. So when were they purged? I think it took Xi Jinping a couple of years to eventually purge the two vice chairmen. One actually died because he had cancer. The other was purged. I think that actually took place in 2014 and 2015. But in late 2014, someone leaked Xi Jinping's now infamous speech called Seven Don't Mentions. In that speech, he instructed educational institutions to ban discussions of universal values, of press freedom, of civil society, of citizens' rights. And also they're banned to discuss the party's historical mistakes. They're not allowed to discuss party oligarchs and judicial independence. So that speech of Xi Jinping was made in 2013, but it was disclosed in 2014, a year later. 2013 was the first year of Xi Jinping's rule. So when that speech came out, it shattered all illusions or any illusion that Xi Jinping was a reformer. So Liu Yuan and many other red princelings who had once hoped for real reforms realized they had been deceived. And Liu reportedly clashed with Xi Jinping face to face more than once. After that, Xi Jinping refused to meet with him and had him blocked at the door. And then on December 31st, 2050, in a surprise move, the Ministry of Defense announced that General Liu Yuan had reached retirement age and was removed from his post. And Liu responded by publicly announcing his resignation from the military, which was a rare and defiant act for a sitting general. So he became the first full general in the PLA to voluntarily step down, to announce retirement, I mean, to announce resignation, I should say. So to summarize, Liu Yuan is a red princeling with political credentials, arguably more senior than Xi Jinping's. His father, Liu Shaoqi, was once the president of China. But more importantly, Liu not only outranks Xi Jinping in lineage, he's widely regarded as more capable. And the two men hold opposing political views. And Liu's reputation as a reform-minded, anti-corruption figure with a solid career in both government and the military made him a symbolic and political threat to Xi Jinping. Fearing that Liu's accomplishments and pedigree could overshadow his own, Xi Jinping moved to him. And that's the rivalry between them. Now, Liu's return, what does that mean, right? Well, he's reportedly going to oversee political affairs in the military. And this and his return has rekindled hope among those who view him as a reformer. Many believe his comeback could inject valuable experience and fresh ideas into the long-discussed effort to nationalize the Chinese military. Liu Yuan has previously voiced strong support for the idea of shifting the Chinese PLA from a party-controlled military to a true national defense force. And he's not alone. There are other military officers supporting this idea. So his return could make that transition possible. And his return could also strengthen Zhang Youxia's position within the PLA. So his unique background in both civilian governance and military affairs makes him a potential bridge between the reformist camp, aka Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, and the military establishment. And if he plays his cards right and handles this transitional moment well, he could very well emerge as the top contender to succeed Xi Jinping. Because if you look at his career, he has always been more of a politician than a soldier. I mean, his aspiration was in politics. He was pushed into the military as a form of political refugee or refuge. I don't think he's a general at heart. And that's exactly why he might not settle for just being one. As far as what will happen to Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua, we don't know. The battles are still ongoing. But this is the latest development. Of course, not until the final announcement comes, we don't know who's going to be China's next leader. And I don't think that decision will come easily. So the fact that General Liu Yuan is now going to the vice chairman of CMC is, I think, a natural first step to be there. I think it will be more difficult if he just suddenly becomes Xi Jinping's replacement. I think that will because after all, he's in retirement. So I think first being the vice chairman of the CMC will be a good transition before taking over the top job. Okay, that's all I have for you. And I have several announcements to make. First of all, I'm being made aware that there are several fake Lazy Road Talk YouTube channels out there. And they're not mine. I don't know who they are, who's behind them. I only have one YouTube channel. And I only have two social media accounts. One is on X and one is on Facebook. If you see me on other social media platforms, I'm not on TikTok. So just be aware, they may not be me. And also the second announcement is I've been receiving a large number of emails lately. Some of you have even sent multiple messages a day. I truly appreciate the engagement, but it's becoming more difficult for me to read everything. So if you'd like to make sure I see your message, please try to keep it to one concise email. And also for security reasons, I don't open links or attachments. And also, I want to give a heartfelt thank you to those who have donated to me via donor box. I haven't got a chance to thank each one of you personally yet, not in the last couple of weeks. But I do and I want to give you a shout out here and express my sincere gratitude. So thank you. Last announcement is about tonight's video in the Looking Glass channel. It's about the most mysterious woman in China. And if you're interested in Chinese politics and US-China relations, you would love to watch that video. So Chris, if you can share the link in the comment section, that will help people. All right, that's all I have for tonight. Let's see. All right. Oh, let me first thank the people. Let me take a sip. Let me thank the people for their super stickers. All right. Many Kyla, in Chinese language, the family name is written before the given name. Is the given name used only among family members and closest friends? Yes. People usually go by their full name, even colleagues. So if you call someone just their first name, that's very close. Yeah, that's very close. That's like only family members and very close friends call each other by first name. Otherwise, you call their full name. That's correct. Thank you. Linda Uzi. Well, thank you, Linda. Okay, next is boy. Boycott China. Love to lay to the tune. Love to Donna Summer. Love to love you. Okay. Is that a song? That's a song. Obviously, that's a song, but I haven't heard it. Well, thank you. Thank you, boy. Let's see. Michael Estrada. Lay, raise the jar to all the Waffle House rednecks out there. All right. To rednecks, to all the rednecks, raise the jar. I have the jar here. Let me get rid of this picture. Here's to all the rednecks. You know what? I need to tell you the story. I learned the word when I was working as a financial analyst for a major financial services firm. And I asked the boss of my boss of my boss, what the word meant, because he used it in his talk, in his conversation to me at a meeting, and there were other managers there. So I respectfully asked him, what does redneck mean? And he looked at me, he gave me this look that I still remember today. And then he patiently gave me a two-minute explanation of what a redneck is. I think he had a hard time explaining it, but I got it. And that's what I always remembered. So, yeah. But could you imagine? I mean, he couldn't understand why his star analyst asked such a naive question. But experiences like that have been throughout my early career in financial services. Anyway, here's to all the rednecks. Anyways, Manuel Arenda the third, I appreciate the insightful information you provide. Well, thank you, Manuel. Manuel. Manuel. Is that right? Oh, here's a question forwarded by Chris. Oh, that's just a link that he forwarded. Jason Angle. How big of a turd is Liu? Like, should I pull for him as I live in Taiwan? Or is he in another Chinese dream? Trogldyte. What do you mean, Trogldyte? If you live in Taiwan, he hasn't really been around for a while. He's been sidelined, so we don't really know his thinking. But in his early years, he appeared to be a reformist and was well-liked by his people. But that was decades ago. People change. People do change. Their political views, their political aspirations all change. So there's not much that we could draw from in the past couple of years to learn more about him. So it's yet to be seen. What I have given you is everything that we know from his past, his childhood, his younger years, his struggle within the CCP's political system, and his problems with Xi Jinping. There's no question that he's more capable and competent than Xi Jinping. There's no question about that, because he really worked his way up from the grassroots. So yeah, that's all I can say about him. But I think in the end, whoever will seriously become the next leader of China will depend on his determination to eradicate the party. It doesn't matter what their capabilities are or how talented they are. Who will actually rise to the top? Who will actually become China's next leader? It will depend on who has the guts and the determination to get rid of CCP. That person will be the next leader. So all our discussions now are just theoretical, because this is the latest development within Zhongnanhai. But do I believe that Liu Yang will be the next leader? Likely, but the ultimate decision or determinant will be his vision for China. If he still tries to save the regime, he doesn't have a future. I do not believe that the people will give him a chance. Fake, lazy road talk? Yeah, there are a couple of fake, lazy road talk out there. His father was competent. His father was really a politician with vision. He believed in a capitalist market economy with a socialist political system. That's the vision of his father. And I think Liu Yang is more than likely going to push that vision, which is a socialist political system with a capitalist economy. That's his vision for China. But without getting rid of the CCP, that doesn't work. That system, that vision doesn't work. It might have worked during his father's time, but not anymore. People will not give CCP another chance. That's my understanding. All right, let's see. Okay. Martin11, I think troglodyte is Xuejuren. What does that mean? I'm sorry, I don't know the English word nor the Chinese word. You mean Xuejuren, meaning somebody who hides from others? Is that what it means? I don't think he is one. No? Yeah. Hmm. Seek the truth. There has been record home purchases in the US by Chinese, millions plus, all in cash. China's markets are up. I think this is the pumping it up and then cash out, flee. You mean China's markets are up? The high-end real estate market in Shanghai has strangely gone up. That's because some wealthy Chinese want to put their money somewhere and they choose the high-end real estate in Shanghai. That's their safest investments right now in China. And they're also bringing their money out to the US. Yes. I heard that a lot of Chinese are buying real estate in the US. Is that a good thing? It's a double-edged sword. It could be good for the US. It could be bad for the US, depending on how you look at it. It makes housing more expensive for us. But then, on the other hand, in times of war, China has more liability. We have more Chinese assets here. We can hold their assets here. So it goes both ways. Finch Jane. I have a friend who was a farmer. He got stage four cancer, maybe from all the chemicals over the years. China's land and water is extremely polluted. Have you followed the latest scandal of the water crisis in Hangzhou? After that, it's not just the water crisis in Hangzhou. In other cities, in Guangzhou, Shaanxi, people turn on their water faucet and the water comes out yellowish and sometimes greenish, brownish, and it smells. And in Hangzhou, rumor has it that some workers or government workers connected sewage pipes with water pipes for almost a day. And when they found out the problem, they didn't announce it. Of course, the government came out to deny it. You can't explain why the water smells so bad. It's summer, and people can't take showers. They have to use bottled water to brush their teeth. And the worst thing is, in that district where there's water, when this happened, there are several food processing factories. And these food processing factories did not stop production during those days. So people are saying, well, we'd better boycott all food manufactured in Hangzhou in July 2025. And people may as well just boycott all food coming from Hangzhou. It's really bad. Now, why is this happening? I was told that when China was in the crazy infrastructure building mode, to build all these high-rises, these infrastructures, when the cities were building like there's no tomorrow, when they built the infrastructures, they didn't follow the blueprints. And so, for example, when they are laying out sewage pipes and water pipes underground, the workers didn't follow the design. They didn't follow the blueprints. They were just randomly laying out these pipes as they wished. So it's possible that when you try to repair something, because what's actually underground is not the same as what's on paper, but when you're trying to fix something, when you're trying to do pipe repairs, you're going to go with the blueprints, but they're not what you see underground. So it's possible that they misconnect something, even though they shouldn't, because they're different sizes, they're different types of pipes. So how could they connect the wrong pipes? But there is a possibility, because you don't even know if they use the right pipe. Actually, they're designated different pipes for water and for sewage, but you don't know. Because the Chinese and the mainland Chinese are known for this. They have a total disregard for standards and procedures. They just do not follow the rules. And the local government officials, the only thing they want is GDP goals, exceeding GDP goals. So they don't care, because they're not going to be the party secretary of this province forever. So once they move to other positions, they don't have to be responsible for the problems they leave behind. So it's all possible. First of all, they don't use the right pipes according to specifications. And also they don't lay them out according to blueprints. And now when somebody tried to figure out what is what and trying to fix them, they could misalign them. And this kind of atrocities, I should say, could happen. And people say that they don't just happen in Hangzhou. It happens in other cities as well. It's just that we don't know them. And they probably didn't happen in summer when everyone needs water desperately. And also, when it happened in other cities, it didn't last that long. The government immediately caught the problem and fixed it. But in this case, they let the wrong pipes to be connected for over 10 hours, way more than 10 hours. And the worst is people don't even know what's going to happen because they turn on the water faucet. You may have to replace your water faucet and all pipes because they have been all contaminated. So it's just, I mean, it's horrendous. I can't imagine what they're going to do. And it's summer, people need water. I've seen videos where people actually go to the street to take shower. They stood under the rain to take a shower because that's better. That's better quality water than what's coming out of the water faucet. It's crazy. Someone say Yuan Shi Ren. Lei is funny. Am I? By wanting to be a redneck? All right. My life's aspiration is to be a redneck. All right. Okay. Oh, here's a question from Mint Creative Gifts and Ideas. Lei, recent times Singapore has signed deals with CCP sharing law expertise, economic cooperation and getting Xinhua to work with our state media. That's a terrible move. Is CCP using Singapore as a political pawn? Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, that's the whole concept the United States had when bringing China into the WTO. By working with the Chinese, we thought that we could influence them, but it turned out to be the opposite. Why? Right? Okay. Dave Schiff. Lei, if General Liu Yiming takes over China, what happens to Xi Jinping's plan to attack Taiwan? I have to say that if General Liu takes over China, and if he does not abandon the CCP, then China's threat to take over Taiwan by using force will always exist, because this is not just Xi Jinping's personal agenda. It is a goal set by the party, because as long as Taiwan and the ROC exist on the island, it's a threat. Then the regime on the mainland is not legitimate, because the PRC is only 70 some years, whereas the ROC has existed for over 110 years. So the fact that the CCP never completely got rid of the ROC, is a threat. It shows that the PRC is not legitimate. The PRC is only a separatist, right? The CCP regime essentially is a separatist government. They separated China from the Republic of China, and established the People's Republic of China. They're not legitimate. So that's why as long as the CCP exists, they will always try to eliminate the ROC. No matter who is in power, anyone, the only time we could feel safe that this is no longer a threat is when CCP no longer is in power. Then it's a different story. Then the ROC may return to the mainland and run China. I mean, it's possible. All right. Okay. Here's a question from Seek the Truth. I'm in the Chinese stock markets are up, pumped up by the elites to only then cash out and flee. Yeah, the Chinese stock market is like the roller coaster. It's up and down. It's highly engineered and manipulated. I don't know if it means anything. I don't think it's tied to the economy at all. I do not think it's tied to people's confidence in the market. So I do not think it means anything. Okay. All right. All right. I've been talking for quite a while. Let's see. Any other questions at the end? Let's see. Norbert Klotz. Do you believe there is a person who really wants to be the next leader of China? Good question. I do not think so. But there are people. But I think Liu Yuan, actually General Liu Yuan turned down Zhang Youxia, I think a year ago, right? He turned him down. But now I think with everything that's happening, that has happened, maybe he saw that the risk has been reduced. And there are more people rallied behind Zhang Youxia to support him. So maybe he changed his mind. Yeah. But I agree with you. If the CCP continues the way it is, then whoever the next leader is, that person is going to fail. The only one who will succeed is the one who is determined to bring down the CCP. But then if that person says so now, he's not going to be given the chance by the party elders. Anyways, so it's a dead end. That's why the show or the drama has dragged on for so long because they can't decide what to do with Xi Jinping. All right. All right. That's all. I think I'll end it here. So long, and I'll see you over the weekend. Okay, bye-bye.