For months, a Chinese military-affiliated YouTube channel published and retained footage of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping that drew widespread online ridicule, while removing other content seen as more favorable to his public image. The channel has since been renamed, and its previously listed Beijing address has been deleted from its profile.
The account, formerly known as “Huaren Fengcai” (华人风采), had identified itself as operating from the National Defense News Communication Center at 34 Fuwai Street in Beijing. That description has since been removed. The channel now operates under the name “Yangdian Guofang Shizheng.”
The National Defense News Communication Center is affiliated with the Political Work Department of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), responsible for propaganda and political work within the military system. The department reports to the Central Military Commission, chaired by Xi Jinping.
A military-linked channel left widely mocked footage online for weeks
One widely circulated video showed Xi in a posture that drew significant attention on social media platforms including X, formerly Twitter. The footage spread beyond the original channel, attracting millions of views and sustained commentary.
The video remained online for an extended period. By the time it was removed, it had accumulated more than 210,000 views on YouTube. Platform data showed the segment featuring Xi’s posture was replayed more frequently than other parts of the video.
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Observers noted that content drawing this level of negative attention is typically removed quickly by Chinese state-affiliated media. In this case, the footage remained accessible for weeks as online commentary continued.
One commenter summarized the reaction in a widely shared post: “something is very wrong here.”
Footage of Peng Liyuan removed while other content remained online
In early January 2026, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung visited Beijing with his wife, Kim Hye-kyung. During the visit, Peng Liyuan, Xi’s wife and a former PLA singer who has served in official cultural roles, met with Kim.
The military-linked channel published a short video of that meeting under the title “At the Frontline of Major-Power Diplomacy.” The video was removed within days.
During the same period, the earlier video involving Xi remained available on the channel.
Some observers pointed to the contrast in how different types of content were handled, noting that footage portraying Peng in a formal diplomatic setting was removed more quickly than footage that had attracted widespread mockery.
The video involving Xi was removed only after the pattern drew attention on social media and among outside commentators.
A caption about ‘paying with his own money’ drew scrutiny
In February 2026, the channel published another video that was removed shortly after appearing online. The footage showed Xi Jinping visiting a commercial district in Beijing ahead of the Lunar New Year, accompanied by Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and head of the Party Secretariat.
The video’s thumbnail included a caption stating that Xi “paid for New Year goods with his own money,” with a visual highlight placed around his hand holding cash.
Scenes of senior Chinese officials visiting markets are a familiar element of state media coverage. The phrasing of the caption drew attention. Some commentators said that emphasizing such a routine action made it appear unusual.
Similar phrasing has appeared in earlier discussions of Chinese political messaging. Commentators have noted past examples in which reports emphasized that officials “paid for their own purchases,” a formulation seen as carrying implications beyond its literal wording.
The video was removed shortly after publication.
Personnel changes in the military formed the broader backdrop
These incidents occurred during a period of personnel changes within China’s military leadership. Two senior figures—Zhang Youxia, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, former chief of the Joint Staff Department—were reported to have been removed from their positions and placed under investigation.
Zhang had long-standing ties within the military, and his removal drew attention among observers of the PLA.
Commentators and analysts have linked the timing of the channel’s content decisions to these developments, though no official explanation has been provided.
Across multiple incidents, the channel published footage that drew public attention, delayed removing certain videos, and removed other content more quickly.
The subsequent renaming of the channel and the removal of its previously listed address followed these events.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on publicly available online videos, social media discussions, and overseas media reporting. Interpretations regarding internal dynamics within the Chinese military are drawn from observed patterns and commentary and have not been independently verified.
By Jian Yi
