By Li Jingyao, Vision Times
As China enters yet another period of political volatility, new reports from insiders suggest the country’s decaying political order has reached a critical stage. At the center of the storm are three figures: Liu Yuan — son of former state chairman Liu Shaoqi; Zhang Youxia — China’s highest-ranking military commander; and leader Xi Jinping, whose power insiders say has been “hollowed out,” but not yet fully removed.
A detailed account circulating among well-connected analysts now claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan recently attempted to drive a wedge between Liu Yuan and Zhang Youxia — only for Liu to respond with a move that shocked everyone present.
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Xi and Peng: A private dinner and a political trap
Chinese commentator Tang Jingyuan revealed on his independent media channel that he received new inside information from sources close to the upper tiers of the CCP.
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According to the insider, Xi Jinping’s authority has been “severely curtailed,” with Party elders allowing him to “remain as a symbolic top leader — a Hua Guofeng-style figure — strictly for the sake of stability.”
But, the source emphasized: “Xi has not given up. He is still looking for any opportunity to stage a comeback.”
That opportunity, the couple believed, appeared when Zhang Youxia traveled to Russia on an official visit. While Zhang, know nas the most powerful military figure in China, was abroad, Xi and Peng arranged a private dinner and extended an enthusiastic invitation to Liu Yuan. Liu attended.
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During the banquet, Xi and Peng were described as “unusually warm,” repeatedly toasting Liu Yuan. Once they judged the atmosphere ripe, the insider said, they made their move: Xi and Peng began praising Liu’s “revolutionary bloodline,” his prestige in the military, and his father Liu Shaoqi’s former role as state chairman — all leading to a single, unmistakable implication:
Liu Yuan should replace the current leadership and become General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. And they, Xi implied, would support him.
Liu Yuan drops a bomb: ‘I recorded everything’
Throughout Xi and Peng’s pitch, Liu Yuan reportedly remained silent. Only after they finished did he respond — with a devastating rebuke. According to the insider, Liu said: “Chairman Zhang has not treated you two unfairly. You both know exactly how you treated him in the past, and yet he never sought to destroy you. And now, while he is abroad, you attempt something like this.”
Then came the moment that froze the room. Liu calmly reached into his pocket, pulled out a recording device, placed it on the table, and said: “Don’t take offense. I recorded the entire conversation — to avoid any future misunderstandings.”
Everyone present, the insider said, was stunned. The dinner ended “on very poor terms,” and the source emphasized that top-level tensions remain dangerously high.
Liu Yuan’s rising influence
Liu Yuan’s movements have been closely watched in recent months. Before the CCP’s Fourth Plenum, rumors circulated that he had already taken over significant military duties. In November, he attended a symposium marking Hu Yaobang’s 110th birthday — in full military uniform, despite no longer having active status. Analysts widely interpreted this as a direct challenge to Xi.
According to the same insider, anti-Xi factions have continued purging members of the “Xi family army.” The source claimed even Xi’s own nephew has been placed under control, and former Xinjiang Party Secretary Ma Xingrui — long tied to Peng Liyuan’s Shandong network — is now being investigated.
The source added: “If by the end of this year or early next year there is still no way to resolve the internal crisis, something unexpected may happen.” These claims have not been independently verified. But with Xi’s political survival at stake, analysts warn he may attempt increasingly desperate maneuvers.
Xi’s ploy: Destabilize the system
Tang Jingyuan argues that Xi’s attempt to lure Liu Yuan was a test — and part of a double-edged strategy. Before the CCP’s Fourth Plenum, Liu Yuan was informally managing portions of political work within the military, filling duties normally overseen by CMC Vice Chairman He Weidong. After the plenum, Zhang Shengmin formally took over those tasks, leaving Liu’s role ambiguous but still influential.
Tang explains that Xi’s supposed offer to “support” Liu Yuan was never genuine. It was a classic divide-and-conquer tactic aimed at two targets:
- Wang Yang — currently controlling Party affairs
- Zhang Youxia — controlling military affairs
If Liu took the bait, the Party would plunge into chaos — chaos Xi believes could give him a path back to power. “Only if the Party falls into deep disorder can Xi attempt a repeat of the ‘Coup of the Gate.’ With stability returning and decision-making becoming smoother, his chances shrink by the day,” said Tang Jinyuan.
Meanwhile, Zhang Youxia’s recent visit to Russia has generated its own wave of explosive rumors. Commentator “Xiaoshuo Jia” claimed that upon Zhang’s arrival in Moscow, an assassination plan was quietly set in motion — ordered from Beijing. The allegation? That Xi Jinping met secretly in Zhongnanhai with Cai Qi, Wang Xiaohong, and a clandestine intermediary from Russia’s FSB to coordinate a poisoning via food.
Though the story cannot be confirmed, the report asserts Zhang discovered the plot and avoided it. Curiously, Chinese state media remained completely silent about Zhang’s trip. Only the Ministry of Defense issued a terse announcement. Zhang disappeared from public view for more than a week, resurfacing only on Nov. 28 during a Politburo study session.
A mainland analyst offered one explanation: Zhang was carrying a top-secret political mission: To inform Putin that the real command of the PLA had changed hands.
Shifting tides
According to a source close to Beijing’s military establishment: “Xi retains the CMC chairman title in name only. After intense internal struggle, command authority, personnel authority, and strategic authority have shifted to Zhang Youxia and the vice chairmen.”
Zhang’s task was to reassure Putin that the China–Russia military partnership remains intact. Supporting this narrative, NATO intelligence reportedly told media contacts: “This was a ‘pledge of allegiance.’ Beijing’s military realists needed Moscow to recognize who actually holds power.”
What is certain is that Russia gave Zhang a reception of remarkable prestige — a red carpet, honor guard inspection, and high-level meetings. Analysts point out that when Zhang visited Russia in October last year, such treatment was not provided. “The elevated protocol suggests Moscow understands Zhang Youxia’s new status within the PLA,” notes Tang, adding, “It signals a major realignment inside Zhongnanhai.”
The reported confrontation between Liu Yuan and Xi Jinping, the alleged stratagem to fracture China’s power blocs, and Zhang Youxia’s elevated status signal a profound shift within the CCP’s highest ranks. If even half these accounts prove true, China’s political center is no longer merely unstable — it is approaching a full realignment, with consequences that may extend far beyond Beijing.
Editorial Note: The views expressed in this article reflect the author’s analysis and do not necessarily represent the positions of Vision Times. Certain claims reference independent accounts that cannot be verified and should be treated as unconfirmed.
