Xi Purges Rocket Force? 290 Experts & Firms Blacklisted, A Death Blow to Zhang Youxia?

China's rocket force has unexpectedly launched a sweeping retroactive investigation going back as far as nine years, an unprecedented move in the history of the CCP's military. Within just a few days, hundreds of notices have been issued, with hundreds of experts and companies thrown onto a blacklist. But who is truly behind this purge? Is it a heavy-handed move by Xi Jinping to crush his powerful rival, Jiang Yuxia, or is Jiang himself seizing the moment to eliminate other factions? And why do the traces lead directly to the moneybags of Jiang Zemin's family, once thought to be untouchable? Let's uncover the answers in today's program. Rocket Force Launches Nine-Year Retroactive Probe According to the CCP's Global Times, between August 28 and September 1, China's rocket force issued 180 consecutive notices, launching a sweeping retroactive investigation into procurement violations spanning the past nine years. The probe blacklisted 174 evaluation experts and 116 suppliers, banning them from participating in future procurement activities. This massive move could spark a fresh wave of purges within the military, with some officials likely to be brought down. In 2023, after the rocket force exposed its first corruption scandal, former Defense Minister Wei Fenghei, his successor Li Shangfu, previously head of the Equipment Development Department, along with two rocket force commanders and at least four senior leaders of military enterprises who once served as CPPCC members, all fell due to corruption charges. Now with this sweeping retroactive investigation, it is likely that more individuals linked to military enterprises will run into serious trouble. In other words, the CCP military may be on the verge of another purge. A military source told reporters that reviewing past procurement records and imposing public punishments demonstrates the leadership's determination to rectify discipline in military procurement and uphold fairness. Some of the CCP's major state-run media even declared that this purge is not only about the present, but also sends a signal that retroactive investigations will be harsh and any violations will be punished. But the key question remains, who initiated this 9-year retrospective probe by the rocket force? According to reports, the punishments against experts were mostly for errors in evaluation that affected the results. One CCP expert, for instance, made a flawed assessment in a 2016 project and has now had his qualifications revoked. The fact that authorities are scrutinizing a project from 2016 is a particularly noteworthy marker. Public information shows that from 2012 to 2015, John Yoshia served as Minister of the General Armaments Department. At the end of 2015, the department was restructured into the Equipment Development Department under the Central Military Commission, with John continuing as its head until 2017, when he was promoted to Vice Chairman of the CMC. In other words, procurement violations also occurred during John Yoshia's tenure as Equipment Chief. From this, it seems the 9-year retroactive probe is targeting John himself. If that is the case, one could almost conclude that Xi Jinping initiated this investigation to take John down. However, it is widely acknowledged that corruption in the CCP's military is deeply entrenched and cannot be pinned on one man or one short period. Back in 2012, when John Yoshia first became head of the General Armaments Department, the military was already rife with corruption. If Xi truly wanted to topple John, wouldn't it be better to extend the probe further back to gather more evidence? Why then did the retroactive investigation stop at 2016 instead of going back to 2012? At present, rumors are circulating that Xi Jinping has lost his grip over the military while John Yoshia is consolidating power. This leaves open the possibility that Xi may not be the one behind the rocket force's probe. Jiang himself could be using it as a cover to purge rival factions. One evaluation expert, Xu Yuanjiao, was accused of misconduct, branded a middleman, and permanently banned from participating in military procurement assessments. Companies he controlled or managed were likewise barred from bidding, and he himself was prohibited from ever representing other suppliers. The so-called middleman refers to brokers who neither own products nor control prices or sales terms, but act as go-betweens in procurement deals. In other words, Xu Yuanjiao is suspected of taking bribes during rocket force procurement processes and issuing biased evaluations. Such broker experts typically come from military enterprises or third-party technical institutions. Public information also shows that procurement issues within the rocket force are closely linked to corruption involving military enterprises and universities. Many of these aerospace-related enterprises and institutions fall under the influence of Jiang Mianheng, the eldest son of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin. The evaluation process itself has often been shaped by Jiang faction forces. Jiang family power bloc takes a heavy blow. Among the 116 suppliers penalized, most were accused of bid-rigging, or collusive bidding. These terms refer to situations where multiple bidders secretly coordinate prices and divide-up projects, manipulating the outcome through improper means that severely undermine fair competition. What shocked many observers was the appearance of major CCP state-owned conglomerates on the blacklist, including Beijing Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd. Under China Information and Communication Construction Group, CITCC, and China Mobile System Integration Co., Ltd., Beijing Engineering Bureau, part of CITC, traces its roots to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and specializes in telecom engineering. In China's telecom sector, CITCC is the largest central enterprise boasting the strongest construction capacity and most advanced technology. Reports note that the company holds top-level general contractor qualifications in telecom engineering and electronic systems, and it has undertaken projects such as the national 8-horizontal, 8-vertical fiber-optic backbone network, Antarctic Expedition Communications, and overseas telecom infrastructure projects. Telecom engineering has long been the domain of Jiang Mianheng. Public records show Jiang Mianheng's business empire spans telecommunications, semiconductors, and engineering construction. China Mobile System Integration Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Mobile, one of the world's largest state-owned telecom giants and mobile operators, has been an even bigger money-making tool for Jiang. Since Jian Zemin's era, Jiang Mianheng leveraged his connections to control China's telecom kingdom, including the three giants China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, which became the Jiang family's financial stronghold. From this angle, the rocket force's retroactive probe is clearly striking at Jiang Mianheng's turf. So could this investigation be aimed directly at Jiang Mianheng and the Jiang faction? If so, it is highly possible that Jiang Youxia is the one who initiated it. After all, ahead of the CCP's 20th Party Congress, Xi Jinping reportedly struck a compromise with Jiang's camp. In exchange for their support of his unprecedented third term, Xi agreed not to further dismantle the Jiang faction. Now with the rocket force's sweeping nine-year probe, the question remains, who will be dragged down in this storm? Let's wait and see. The Jiang Family's Unbridled Corruption In reality, the Jiang clan's corruption has long reached almost unbelievable levels. Jiang Zemin's son, Jiang Mianheng, once embezzled 1 billion yuan in employee bonuses from Motorola's Wuhan branch, sparking a massive protest. And the result? Jiang showed up briefly for a few minutes, and the scandal was quietly buried. It is estimated that the Jiang family's assets range from 3 to 5 trillion yuan, roughly 400 to 700 billion USD. But analyst Gary has asserted that the real figure is closer to 50 trillion yuan, about 7 trillion USD, just from assets registered under Jiang's sister alone. This vast fortune was laundered through financial networks involving Alibaba's founder Jack Ma and other tycoons aligned with the Jiang faction. Jiang Zemin enabled his son, Jiang Mianheng, to head multiple state-owned enterprises such as Shanghai United Investment Company, setting a precedent for the children of CCP and military officials to take charge of similar firms. This opened the floodgates for rampant money-for-power and money-for-sex deals across China, spreading like a dike-breaking flood. Jiang's reliance on corrupt officials to govern also allowed his grandson, Jiang Zhicheng, to quietly amass immense wealth. Jiang Zemin did not hesitate to sacrifice even his closest allies. Xu Kaihou, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, who had helped Jiang carry out many dirty dealings inside the military, secretly stashed away mountains of cash in the basement of a 2,000-square-meter Beijing villa. Investigators found so much U.S. dollars, euros, and renminbi that the money-counting machines literally burned out from overuse. The confiscated cash alone weighed over one ton. Xu also hoarded 100 kilograms of jade, 200 kilograms of gemstones, and numerous antiques, including Tang Dynasty paintings and calligraphy. To haul away his illicit fortune, authorities had to mobilize 10 large military trucks. When the scandal caused a public uproar, Jiang quickly cast Xu aside as a scapegoat to shield himself. Xu was accused of massive bribery in exchange for selling military posts. He died of late-stage bladder cancer before he could face trial. Clearly, the Jiang family's empire of corruption extends far beyond individual greed. It has evolved into a systemic network embedded deep in China's political, military, and economic structures. From looting national assets, laundering money through giant conglomerates, to sacrificing trusted allies to cover their tracks, the scale of ruthlessness and greed is staggering. This is why every investigation and every purge is never just about fighting corruption. In truth, it is a life-or-death struggle between rival factions at the pinnacle of power. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments. Thank you and see you next time.