Editor’s Note: This article is based on online posts, social media content, and commentary by overseas Chinese-language commentators. The authenticity, authorship, and provenance of the alleged “Open Letter to the People” cannot be independently verified. All allegations and characterizations are presented as claims made by the cited sources.
By Li Muzi
An unsigned document described as an “Open Letter to the People,” allegedly issued by anti–Xi Jinping figures within the Chinese military, circulated widely online on Jan. 24, shortly after Chinese authorities announced investigations into two senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.
The document calls for nationwide resistance and urges both military personnel and civilians to oppose what it describes as a political purge carried out by Xi Jinping’s leadership. Its origin and authorship remain unverified.
According to a version reposted by an X account using the name “Li Jun,” the investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are portrayed not as routine anti-corruption cases, but as a power struggle within the ruling system. The letter characterizes the actions as a political purge targeting senior military factions, families linked to revolutionary elites, and what it describes as remaining independent voices within the armed forces.
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The document claims that Xi Jinping’s rule has reached a critical stage. It accuses him of using anti-corruption campaigns to eliminate political rivals, consolidating personal authority under the banner of national rejuvenation, and advancing the slogan of “common prosperity” while undermining private wealth. It cites the COVID-19 lockdown period, the collapse of the real estate sector, record youth unemployment, diplomatic isolation, the expansion of state control over private enterprise, widespread surveillance, and a series of high-profile social cases as evidence of what it describes as systemic governance failures.
The letter further alleges that the military has been brought under increasingly centralized control. It references earlier purges within the Rocket Force, investigations into defense procurement systems, the abrupt removal of former defense minister Li Shangfu, and now the targeting of a sitting Central Military Commission vice chairman who is also a member of the Politburo. According to the document, these developments reflect growing internal insecurity rather than institutional stability.
Addressing serving officers and soldiers directly, the letter warns that internal disciplinary bodies, state security agencies, armed police units, and intelligence departments could expand their actions further. It urges personnel—particularly those who previously served under Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli—to recognize what it describes as an internal threat.
The document argues that when authoritarian power reaches an extreme, the military becomes a decisive force. It frames collective resistance as a means of self-preservation, national rescue, and protection of the population.
The appeal extends beyond the armed forces to workers, farmers, intellectuals, lawyers, journalists, business owners, civil servants, and members of the Chinese diaspora. It asserts that ordinary citizens constitute the central force behind any meaningful political change.
The letter concludes with a call for unity between civilians and the military, expressing confidence that coordinated action would lead to political transformation and renewal.
Separately, independent media commentator Du Wen wrote on X that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were detained following what he described as a failed coup attempt. Citing unnamed sources, Du claimed the two generals had planned to mobilize troops against Xi Jinping under the justification of safeguarding the party and the state, but that the effort was exposed by individuals close to them.
According to Du, the PLA’s former General Staff–centered command structure has been suspended, with the Central Military Commission allegedly issuing direct encrypted orders. He further claimed that all PLA units have entered a heightened readiness state, that troop movements have been frozen, and that officers and soldiers have been ordered to surrender mobile phones and undergo political study sessions.
Du described the episode as the most severe internal purge in the history of the Chinese Communist Party and a sign of structural strain within the PLA. He warned that retaliation by remaining factions could occur and advised residents in Beijing to limit movement in sensitive political areas.
Another commentator on X, using the name “New High Ground,” wrote that the simultaneous removal of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli would mark an exceptionally dangerous phase in elite power struggles. The post argued that the campaign has shifted from targeting peripheral figures to confronting families linked to revolutionary lineage, and that Zhang’s removal would signal increasing instability rather than consolidation.
As of publication, Chinese authorities have not publicly addressed the circulating document or the claims made by overseas commentators. The authenticity of the alleged open letter and the allegations surrounding it remain unverified.
