The picture shows Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, attending the National People's Congress on March 12, 2023. (Screenshot from the web)
[People News] As the Fourth Plenary Session approaches, the winds surrounding Xi Jinping's imminent resignation are intensifying. Cai Qi, a close ally of Xi Jinping and a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as well as the Director of the General Office, recently made a rare public address in which he notably did not refer to Xi as the core leader. Additionally, there are rumours that the General Office has issued a document explicitly criticising Xi Jinping's leftist ideology as detrimental to the party and the nation, suggesting that the internal party dynamics have shifted, and Cai Qi has also chosen to oppose Xi.
On May 17, the CPC's official media outlet, Xinhua News Agency, released a report titled "Cai Qi Emphasises a Problem-Oriented Approach and Strict Standards During Research in Tangshan, Hebei, Classifying Guidance to Promote In-Depth and Practical Learning and Education." The report stated that Cai Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Secretariat, inspected and guided efforts to deeply implement the spirit of the Central Committee's eight regulations in Tangshan, Hebei, from the 16th to the 17th.
However, in his speech, Cai Qi only mentioned "General Secretary Xi Jinping" once and notably refrained from referencing Xi Jinping's thoughts or the "Two Upholds" and "Two Establishes," which is quite telling. If Cai Qi, who serves as Xi Jinping's close aide and the chief steward of Zhongnanhai, has any doubts, it would not merely be a matter of Xi Jinping losing sleep, but rather a question of where he would find rest.
Since the beginning of 2025, negative reports about Xi Jinping's diminishing power have been circulating almost daily. Among the members of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, it appears that all five members, except Cai Qi, are, whether intentionally or unintentionally, attempting to distance themselves from Xi Jinping. Recently, there have been rumours that Ding Xuexiang is poised to become General Secretary at the Fourth Plenary Session, suddenly switching his allegiance to the party elders and has already taken control of the party, government, and military powers. Zhao Leji, a remnant of the Jiang faction, has been openly at odds with Xi Jinping. Li Xi, acting as an anti-Xi mole, has collaborated with the military to eliminate Xi's trusted allies within the armed forces. Li Qiang has long grown weary of being Xi's scapegoat and has had other intentions for quite some time. Reports suggest that Wang Huning is drafting a personnel layout plan for the Communist Party regarding sidelining Xi after the Fourth Plenary Session.
In summary, Cai Qi is the only member of the Standing Committee who remains foolishly loyal and steadfast. On April 24, a national meeting of party and government secretaries was convened in Beijing, where Cai Qi attended and delivered a speech emphasising 'Xi Thought', 'Two Safeguards', and 'Two Establishments'. This has been interpreted as an attempt to use the secretarial system to place informants among senior officials at the provincial level for Xi Jinping. On March 12, shortly after the conclusion of the Two Sessions, Cai Qi convened a national party building work meeting in his role as the head of the party's construction work leadership group and delivered an important speech. In his remarks, Cai Qi repeatedly mentioned Xi Jinping's name, stressing 'Two Safeguards' and 'Two Establishments'. Analysts believe that Cai Qi is acting on Xi Jinping's orders to counter the anti-Xi faction's actions within the party under the pretext of party building.
Since the beginning of May, the anti-Xi movement in Zhongnanhai has intensified dramatically. An article titled 'Dilemma Without Solution, System Without Rescue' by Zhang Yingjie, an associate professor at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, was unexpectedly published under real names on a discussion platform controlled by Cai Xia, a former Central Party School official. The article openly criticises the erratic policies of the Xi era, sharply stating that 'the problem lies in the economy, the root is in politics.' It expresses strong support for Wen Jiabao and Li Keqiang, and notably mentions Yu Maocun, a former U.S. politician targeted by Xi Jinping, advocating for a distinction between China and the Communist Party of China. Previously, it was reported online that two prominent women from South China University of Technology also publicly issued a manifesto against Xi and the Communist Party.
Simultaneously, there are rumors that five Politburo members—Zhang Youxia, He Lifeng, Wang Yi, Ma Xingrui, and Yin Li—have collectively opposed Xi, firmly establishing a boundary with him. There are even claims that on May 10, a coup took place in Zhongnanhai, resulting in Xi Jinping being placed under house arrest for 72 hours, with Wen Jiabao effectively taking control.
On May 14, reports surfaced again that the Communist Party convened an expanded meeting of the Central Politburo in Beijing, bringing together current Politburo members, party elders, former military leaders, and ex-Standing Committee members to collectively condemn Xi Jinping. They enumerated 12 offences committed during Xi's tenure, including the dismantling of the reform and opening-up policy, a return to Maoist totalitarianism, engaging in factional politics, suppressing private enterprises, and pursuing wolf warrior diplomacy that has damaged U.S.-China relations. Rumours suggest that this meeting was essentially a reckoning with Xi Jinping, a conclusive judgment on his leadership. Two weeks prior, there were also rumours online that the Communist Party held an expanded Politburo meeting with over 50 attendees, signalling a potential resurgence of the Tuanpai faction in the political arena.
All these rumours and battle cries against Xi Jinping are aimed squarely at him. The sheer variety of narratives is overwhelming, and the intensity of the opposition is unprecedented, involving numerous factions within the party. Even prior to the 20th National Congress, the calls against Xi were not as thunderous and boisterous as they are today. Back then, the mainstream discourse favoured opposing Xi and supporting Li. However, the current landscape has changed dramatically. From grassroots movements to official circles, from academic institutions to the highest echelons of power, and from domestic to international arenas, senior officials, military and political figures, ordinary citizens, and various social groups are all united in their opposition to Xi and the Communist Party. This reflects the sentiments and will of the people, which also aligns with a clear indication of divine will.
On May 17, several prominent figures in the self-media disclosed that Cai Qi suddenly raised his voice in a public opposition to Xi. The Central Office, under Cai Qi's leadership, issued a document that criticised Xi Jinping's leftward shift as detrimental to the party and the nation. According to reports, the General Office of the Central Committee recently released Document No. [2025] 11, titled 'Notice on Preventing and Overcoming the Interference of Extreme Leftist Thought in Current Work.' This notice addresses the real dangers posed by extreme leftist ideology, the urgent need to rectify formalism, personal worship, and other negative trends, implicitly criticising Xi Jinping's left-leaning governance thoughts and policies. Although Xi Jinping's name is not explicitly mentioned, the language is sharp and incisive, directly targeting Xi Jinping.
A review of mainland websites concerning the documents issued by the Central Office reveals that the document numbered [2025] No. 11 raises questions about its authenticity due to its format and font size. If Cai Qi (蔡奇) indeed issued this document, it would clearly represent a coup proposal from Zhongnanhai, signalling the entire party to criticise Xi Jinping's leftist policies. In such a case, the article should have been disseminated through commentary pieces in the People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency, rather than through the Central Office, as Cai Qi, who controls the narrative, could easily facilitate that.
Nonetheless, this does not imply that Cai Qi lacks intentions to oppose Xi. Even if the notification is a product of online fabrication, Cai Qi's recent speech during his inspection in Tangshan, where he notably omitted any mention of Xi Jinping's thoughts or the 'Two Upholds' and 'Two Establishes', suggests that he may be looking to leverage this anti-Xi notification to his advantage. After all, resisting the prevailing tide is a path to self-destruction. Furthermore, during last year's Third Plenary Session, Cai Qi, wary of backlash from party elders, retracted the article titled 'Reformer Xi Jinping'. Given this background, it would not be surprising if Cai Qi were to turn against Xi again at a crucial moment.
(First published by People News)
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