[People News] Ten days after Xi Jinping moved against Zhang Youxia, mainland outlet Caixin cited a report from the Beijing Daily saying Chen Yuan, former commander of the Shanghai Armed Police Corps, had been reassigned in early January to a leadership post in the Beijing Garrison Command. In other words, during Xi’s move against Zhang, Chen Yuan was positioned to “guard the rear.” Chen is seen as aligned with He Weidong’s faction and has been linked by rumor to responsibility for Li Keqiang’s mysterious death in Shanghai. This fuels the belief that Xi’s move against Zhang had been planned for a long time and that Xi used forces hostile to Zhang to carry it out.

The Beijing Garrison and CCP Power Struggles

The Beijing Garrison is sometimes called the regime’s “Imperial Guard,” tasked with protecting the capital region. In peacetime it guards Zhongnanhai and other key sites; in wartime it would cover the evacuation of top CCP leaders. There is a saying that whoever controls the Beijing Garrison controls half of Beijing. Every top leader has therefore placed trusted figures in charge of it.

When Hua Guofeng arrested the “Gang of Four,” he first secretly secured the support of Beijing Garrison commander Wu Zhong and Central Guard Bureau chief Wang Dongxing, arranging for garrison troops to operate outside Zhongnanhai. Without control of the garrison, the outcome might have been reversed. Factional struggle over control of the Beijing Garrison has thus long been intense, and which faction’s general takes command is a key indicator of military power shifts.

Since coming to power at the 18th Party Congress, Xi has repeatedly replaced the garrison’s commander and political commissar. Anyone not fully trusted — even slightly suspect — was removed. Over a little more than a decade, nearly ten commanders have rotated through: Zheng Chuanfu (Dec 2009–Dec 2013), Pan Liangshi (Dec 2013–July 2016), Wang Chunning (July 2016–Apr 2020), and Fu Wenhua (Apr 2020–Mar 2025).

From March 2025 until Chen Yuan’s arrival in early January 2026, the commander’s post appears to have been vacant. Chen, formerly commander of the Shanghai Armed Police Corps, would not have been transferred to Beijing for a demotion; he either moved laterally or was promoted. Party media reported him attending a Beijing Garrison Party committee meeting as a “leader,” suggesting he filled the commander vacancy. This indicates Xi struggled for nearly a year to find someone he trusted to run the garrison.

Looking at past commanders and political commissars, aside from current commissar Zhu Jun (an Air Force background), the others came from the Army — a branch long associated with Zhang Youxia. The previous commander, Fu Wenhua, served for years in the former Shenyang Military Region’s 16th Group Army, where Zhang had been commander (2007–2012). Fu became Beijing Garrison commander in 2020 while Zhang was vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. Fu left the post in March 2025 to become a deputy commander in the Armed Police. Chen Yuan is believed to have effectively taken over garrison leadership by early 2025, meaning his appointment may have been preparation for moves against Zhang and Liu Zhenli.

After Li Keqiang’s Death, Xi Reportedly Saw Chen as Loyal

Chen Yuan, born in 1972 in Dongtai, Jiangsu — hometown of He Weidong — spent his career in the Armed Police. He became commander of the Guangxi Armed Police Corps in 2021 and was promoted to major general. By January 2023 he was commander of the Shanghai Armed Police Corps.

Taiwanese defense analysts Su Tzu-yun and others believe Chen was already overseeing the Beijing Garrison before Zhang and Liu were taken down, but this only became public afterward — a sensitive signal. It may have been a deliberate message from Xi’s camp to dissenters: “We control the Beijing Garrison. Fail to show loyalty, and you’ll face consequences.”

Analyst Mark commented that Chen was Shanghai Armed Police commander by January 2023, and when former Premier Li Keqiang died suddenly in Shanghai in October 2023, some suspected Chen’s involvement. Though unproven, Li died within Chen’s security jurisdiction. Chen not only avoided punishment but was later brought to Beijing for a key role — possibly because Xi saw him as loyal in that episode.

Mark added that if Zhang Youxia had resisted with security forces, the Central Guard Bureau alone might not have sufficed; the Beijing Garrison would be a crucial backup. Chen’s transfer to Beijing thus meant guarding the gate for Xi.

Shen Mingshi of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research also noted that Beijing Garrison leadership changes are closely tied to factional struggle. Chen appears aligned with He Weidong’s camp. After He’s ally Wang Chunning fell, Armed Police acting commander Cao Junzhang — long associated with the former Chengdu Military Region and linked to Zhang Youxia — also reportedly fell from favor. Cao was absent from a late-2025 general promotion ceremony, fueling speculation he too had been removed.

(First published by People News)