The political situation within the Chinese Communist Party is described as unpredictable and complex. While it appears calm on the surface, there are undercurrents beneath. Chinese Vice President, Wang Qishan, long regarded as a key figure assisting Xi Jinping in his anti-corruption campaign, is now rumored to be in a precarious situation—so serious that he is allegedly deprived even of the freedom to eat. The reason for this situation is said to be clues discovered through his most trusted aide, Zhou Liang, which have caused Xi Jinping great concern.
Xi Jinping spent three years positioning to take down Zhang Youxia
In March 2026, U.S.-based independent commentator Cai Shenkun revealed that as Xi Jinping moved against Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, fundamental changes were taking place within the CCP. According to him, by targeting Zhang Youxia, Xi had “almost offended all the ‘red second generation,’ military second generation, and veteran factions.”
What Xi fears most now may be coordination among a small number of still-influential retired top-level CCP officials. Among them, a key figure he has been closely guarding against and repeatedly mentioning is former CCDI Secretary Wang Qishan.
Recently, Cai Shenkun further disclosed that regarding how to deal with Wang Qishan, only one uncertainty remains—whether Xi Jinping will ultimately decide to take action. Moreover, such a decision would carry significant weight: moving against Wang Qishan would send an even stronger signal than targeting Zhang Youxia. It is said that Xi Jinping spent three years preparing the groundwork to move against Zhang Youxia.
According to Cai Shenkun, Zhang Youxia was placed by CCP elders such as Hu Jintao at Xi Jinping’s side as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, with the role of controlling the military, keeping Xi in check, and preventing him from securing another term. For this reason, after the 20th Party Congress, Xi Jinping sought to remove Zhang Youxia and began by weakening his influence from the periphery.
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In October 2012, Zhang Youxia was appointed as Minister of the General Armaments Department of the Chinese military. In November 2015, he became the first head of the newly established Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, serving until September 2017. At that time, Li Shangfu succeeded Zhang Youxia as head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission.
Cai Shenkun revealed that Xi Jinping began by purging Li Shangfu, who had served as head of the Central Military Commission’s Equipment Development Department, as well as Wei Fenghe, the first commander of the PLA Rocket Force, and then gradually extended the effort toward Zhang Youxia. However, during this process there was reportedly a reversal: Zhang Youxia moved against Xi Jinping’s key military aides Miao Hua and He Weidong.
They were accused not only of corruption but also of having evidence against them related to plotting rebellion. This ultimately forced Xi Jinping to cut off his “right- and left-hand men”.
In the end, in January 2026, Zhang Youxia was unable to escape being taken down.With Zhang Youxia removed, Xi Jinping is said to have few “allies” within the CCP aside from Cai Qi and Wang Xiaohong.
Rumors say Xi Jinping is deeply unsettled
In addition, Zhou Liang—who had followed Wang Qishan for 20 years—has also been taken down.
On April 21, 2026, according to China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security website, the State Council removed Zhou Liang from his post as deputy head of the Financial Regulatory Administration.
As a result, Wang Qishan’s situation is seen as increasingly delicate. Although after the CCP’s 19th National Congress Wang Qishan appeared to “submit” to Xi Jinping, Xi reportedly views this as merely a tactic of “concealing strength and biding time,” and that his supposed concession was only verbal.
Since the 19th Party Congress, Xi Jinping has gradually purged Wang Qishan’s former associates. According to sources within the CCP system, Xi is still observing Wang Qishan and is unlikely to take immediate action against him, but has already placed him under control. It is even claimed that Wang Qishan now lacks not only freedom of speech and movement, but even freedom over daily activities such as eating, with everything under Xi Jinping’s surveillance.
Another claim suggests that Wang Qishan’s situation is increasingly dire, and that Xi Jinping’s motive for moving against him would be to “kill the chicken to scare the monkey,” clearing obstacles for securing another term at the CCP’s 21st National Congress in 2027.
Four key secretaries taken down; Wang Qishan subjected to a ‘no-blind-spot’ purge
U.S.-based commentator Zhang Tianliang stated in his self-media program that signs of Wang Qishan being sidelined had already appeared after the CCP’s 19th National Congress. A review of the downfall of Wang Qishan’s former associates shows that his core confidants—known as his “four top secretaries,” who had followed him since the 1990s—have all been taken down. These include Zhou Liang, Dong Hong, Fan Yifei, and Tian Huiyu.
All four had worked closely with Wang Qishan across multiple postings—from Guangdong to Hainan, from Hainan to Beijing, and from Beijing to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Even earlier, when Wang Qishan served as president of China Construction Bank, they were by his side. Specifically, Tian Huiyu (former president of China Merchants Bank), Fan Yifei (former vice governor of the People’s Bank of China), and Dong Hong (former deputy head of a central inspection team) were all given suspended death sentences between 2022 and 2024.
The downfall of Wang Qishan’s four key secretaries suggests that Xi Jinping’s purge of Wang Qishan’s network has reached a “no blind spots” stage.
It is said that during the 19th Party Congress, when Wang Qishan assisted Xi Jinping in anti-corruption efforts, he gathered compromising information on many CCP officials, which could be used to pressure them into compliance. This is something Xi Jinping would find intolerable.
At present, the claims regarding Wang Qishan’s alleged private connections—through Zhou Liang—with Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, as well as reports about Wang Qishan’s current situation, remain unverified. Further developments will need to be observed.
By Li Deyan
