Xi Jinping Faces an Unprecedented Challenge from the Military
[People News] Several individuals close to the Chinese military have disclosed that after Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were placed under investigation by CCP authorities, multiple directives issued by the CCP Central Military Commission (CMC) to the armed forces met with widespread resistance at the grassroots level. Among them, at least two documents sent by the CMC General Office to major theater commands and group armies were not carried out. Orders have been circulating within the military without effect, and the PLA’s operational state has shown rare abnormalities.
Sources from within the CCP military say that, in practical terms, only Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin remain at the core of the Central Military Commission. The successive investigations of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are seen within the military as a concentrated purge of the existing power structure dominated by the professional officer corps, directly triggering strong dissatisfaction among officers and soldiers in multiple theater commands.
According to insiders, on January 24 the CMC announced through a Ministry of National Defense notice and a PLA Daily editorial that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were “placed under case review and investigation.” The news spread rapidly within the military, prompting intense internal reactions. Many officers and soldiers privately questioned how the Party Center could detain and investigate two senior generals—long respected within the ranks and regarded as “old chiefs”—without publicly presenting any clear evidence.
Mr. Ruan, an informed source within the CCP’s military-political system, told The Dajiyuan that this move is widely interpreted inside the military as a political purge rather than simple anti-corruption, seriously undermining internal trust in top-level decision-making.
CMC documents met with a cold shoulder
Ruan revealed that on January 24 the CMC General Office issued at least two documents to units at all levels, demanding that they “maintain alignment with the Party Central Committee and the CMC” and organize related study sessions and public statements. However, in multiple military regions there was no response; some units refused to issue public statements or hold internal study sessions.
The next day, the CMC General Office issued another document with similar content, attempting to suppress backlash within the ranks, but the situation did not change. The directives continued to receive passive resistance.
In recent days, reporters have checked CMC and related military websites and found no public statements from theater commands or services expressing support for the Party Central Committee or the CMC. A source close to the military said, “Right now, the channels for transmitting high-level military orders have completely broken down—no one is responding. From commanders to ordinary soldiers, dissatisfaction and resistance toward the CMC are spreading. Orders are issued, but no one takes them seriously.”
This source, who strongly requested anonymity, also disclosed that recently among grassroots troops, some have even referred to Xi Jinping as “Steamed Bun,” drawing bursts of laughter.
Mockery of the top leadership spreading at the grassroots
In the Eastern Theater Command, similar joking about Xi has appeared. A family member of an officer serving in the military confirmed that in some grassroots units, personnel have privately changed “Old Xi” to “Steamed Bun.” He said that within the military environment, such a nickname signals that the supreme commander’s authority is no longer recognized and represents a clear sign of passive resistance:
“Who still listens to him now? Once the supreme commander’s orders are no longer seen as commands that must be obeyed, the basis for wartime mobilization disappears. If they really try to mobilize for war, no one will risk their life for you.”
Regarding the current turmoil at the top of the CCP, Mr. Hu, a graduate of a military academy, said the situation is extremely rare:
“There was a coup during the Gang of Four period, but the military merely cooperated with Hua Guofeng. This time, resistance rising from the bottom up is unprecedented.”
Hu added that in the past, once the CMC issued an order, theater commands would quickly express support and transmit it down the chain. The current “collective silence” is seen within the military as a direct negation of Xi Jinping’s personal authority:
“If they don’t pull back from the brink, I think the consequences will be very serious. They were prepared for arrests, but they clearly underestimated the internal resistance.”
Warnings inside the PLA: risk of loss of control sharply rising
Hu also relayed warnings from within the military that if the CCP leadership continues handling Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli’s cases without any substantive adjustment, the CMC will face the risk of losing effective control over the vast military system. The political and security costs the authorities would bear could far exceed the significance of taking down a few individuals like Zhang Youxia.
State media Xinhua reported that on January 27, Xi Jinping met visiting Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to exchange views on China–Finland relations and bilateral cooperation. Official media released photos and reports of the meeting, showing Xi in attendance and delivering remarks. This marked Xi’s first public appearance in three days since Zhang Youxia’s arrest.
As for how the CMC—now consisting only of Chairman Xi Jinping and Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin—can command the massive PLA, military scholar Mr. Yuan said the two-man structure is insufficient to effectively command a real combat system. Zhang Shengmin has long worked in civilian political roles and lacks operational experience, while the professional officer corps still dominates within the military.
Imbalance between civilian and military systems cripples command authority
Yuan noted that China’s military has long had two distinct systems: professional officers and political/civilian officials, with clear boundaries between them. This round of concentrated blows against the officer system, represented by Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, is seen as disrupting the internal balance of the military and is an important reason why resistance has spread so quickly.
Multiple informed sources warn that if the CCP leadership does not change its current decisions and does not release Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, the CMC will gradually lose absolute command authority over roughly two million active-duty troops.
Some commentary holds that Zhang Youxia long commanded prestige and real influence within the military. The shock caused by his arrest has pushed the CCP into a period of high instability. Judging from the refusal of officers and soldiers across theater commands to issue statements or participate in denunciations, Xi Jinping is facing the most severe military crisis of his rule.
(Reported by Wang Xin, Dajiyuan correspondent) △
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