Touching Xi's Sensitive Nerve: Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu Become Sacrificial Victims

According to reports from state media, during his visit to the Joint Operations Command Centre on November 8, 2022, Xi Jinping was flanked by He Weidong, Liu Zhenli, Zhang Shengmin, Li Shangfu, Zhang Youxia, and Miao Hua from left to right. (Video screenshot)

[People News] Recently, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made a significant announcement: former Ministers of National Defence Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were both sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery. Li Shangfu faced an additional charge of bribery, and all their personal assets were confiscated. After the two-year reprieve, their sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment, with no possibility of reduction or parole. In other words, in Xi's view, as long as they are alive, they will serve their full sentences.

Excessive Greed: Officials Avoid Disclosing the Amount

For many years, a saying attributed to Chen Yun, one of the second generation of the CCP's collective leadership, has circulated within the party: 'Internal party struggles must not open the floodgates to killing; otherwise, it will be difficult for future generations.' This principle is regarded as a form of 'protection' for high-ranking officials within the CCP, aimed at preventing retaliatory actions following changes in political power.

Some speculate that Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu's ability to avoid the death penalty may be linked to Chen Yun's principle.

Furthermore, the authorities did not disclose the amounts involved in their cases, leading to rampant speculation from the public. Additionally, after sentencing them to death with a reprieve, the authorities added the stipulation of 'life imprisonment, with no possibility of reduction or parole,' which has raised eyebrows and sparked various conjectures.

Reflecting on Guo Boxiong, the former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, who was ousted after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016. The authorities stated that he accepted bribes of 'particularly enormous amounts,' although they did not disclose specific figures. However, rumours suggest that the assets seized and frozen from the Guo family could reach as high as 25.873 billion yuan. Reports from Hong Kong media, citing Chinese military officials, indicate that Guo Boxiong alone received 'tributes' from high-ranking officials totalling hundreds of billions, and when including income from selling official positions and land, the total is estimated to be no less than one trillion yuan, with the scale of his corruption described as 'enough to save two Greeces.' Despite this, Guo Boxiong was not sentenced to 'life imprisonment.'

Phoenix Weekly previously reported that Xu Caihou, the former Vice Chairman of the Military Commission who passed away from bladder cancer in March 2015, was arrested, and authorities claimed that he 'used his position to assist in the promotion of others, directly and through family members, accepted bribes; used his power to benefit others, accepting bribes of particularly enormous amounts.' In the basement of Xu's 2,000-square-meter mansion, investigators discovered cash piled up, including US dollars, euros, and renminbi, weighing over a ton. Some of the cash was still in unopened packaging, and the various gold, silver, and jewellery found in Xu's residence were countless. In the warehouse of Xu's home, there were also over a hundred kilograms and more than two hundred kilograms of Hetian jade, along with a large collection of various precious hardwoods and rare jade products. The seized assets were so numerous that investigators had to temporarily call in more than a dozen military trucks to transport everything away. However, Xu Caihou did not live to face sentencing, as he succumbed to cancer.

Fang Fenghui, the former chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019. The judgment specified 'life imprisonment, without the possibility of sentence reduction or parole.' Authorities indicated that he was guilty of bribery, offering bribes, and possessing a significant amount of property with an unknown source, described as 'particularly huge.' However, the specific amount has not been disclosed.

This situation highlights that not only are officials within the Communist Party of China deeply corrupt, but senior military generals are also heavily involved in the embezzlement of military funds and bribery, showing no hesitation when it comes to accepting money.

Commentator Chen Xiaoping remarked on the X platform on May 10, 'For such a significant case, receiving a suspended death sentence without disclosing the amount is a blatant deception. As for why Beijing is handling it this way, we can only speculate at this point. Is the amount involved too high to disclose, potentially frightening people? Or is it simply a fabricated corruption charge to imprison him and move on?'

Netizens have been actively commenting, stating: 'No wonder all corrupt officials are eager to have mistresses and send their children to immigrate abroad, hiding their wealth overseas, making investigations difficult and avoiding being caught in a sweep, especially since there is solid evidence of their crimes! This is the fundamental reason for China's lack of domestic capital!' 'They can judge however they want; do you really take it seriously?' 'They seem to prioritize political signals over the actual amounts; this kind of opaque operation is indeed perplexing.' 'There are numerous cases involving billions, yet no one has received a death sentence.' 'In the 'corruption governance' of 'Jiang Shudao,' in the military, from new recruits, every level of promotion has a 'clear price tag.' This indicates that the military is thoroughly corrupt from top to bottom, making it impossible to find a clean individual among them.'

Touching Xi's sensitive spots, loyalty is lost and purged.

Following the heavy sentencing of Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, the People's Liberation Army Daily commented the next day that there must be no individuals in the military with divided loyalties to the Party, nor should there be any hiding places for corrupt elements. The article described Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu as 'disloyal' and having 'seriously polluted the political ecology of the troops.'

This suggests that the primary reason for the downfall of Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu is not corruption, but rather their 'disloyalty' to the Communist Party leader, which may involve issues against Xi Jinping, resulting in their political purge.

Both Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were personally promoted by Xi Jinping, and his decision to cut ties with them illustrates the depth of his animosity. This animosity is likely connected to a leak case.

In the latter half of 2023 and into 2024, various political channels of overseas Chinese self-media reported an 'unverified rumour.' According to the self-media channel 'True Viewpoint,' it was revealed that Wei Fenghe was implicated in a transaction involving the Dongfeng-31AG simulation training software. The exposé referenced a so-called judgment document stating that Wei Fenghe, in an effort to conceal the matter, forcibly divided this complete military project into 12 sub-contracts, which ultimately ended up with a contractor under the American defence giant Lockheed Martin. This strategy of breaking the project into smaller parts allowed Wei Fenghe to amass an astonishing 274 million in illicit profits, along with a hillside villa located in Los Angeles, USA.

The most dramatic moment in the exposé occurred when Wei Fenghe's son, after joyfully receiving the house in Los Angeles, sent a WeChat voice message to Wei Fenghe saying: 'Dad, the house is secured, can the source code of that simulation training software be sent out?'

Consequently, this conversation involving national defence secrets was intercepted by the FBI and later funnelled back to Beijing through mysterious channels, becoming the first recording played during the trial and serving as compelling evidence to substantiate the charges.

Furthermore, on October 24, 2022, research institutions affiliated with the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon released a comprehensive 255-page report. This report detailed intelligence on the Chinese Communist Party's Rocket Force, including unit designations, organisational structure, coordinates of various bases, locations of ammunition depots, and even the names of commanders at all levels, along with information about their families and where their children are educated. The Rocket Force is the Chinese Communist Party's highest-level nuclear strike force, equipped with nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The release of this extensive report effectively exposes the full extent of the Chinese Communist Party's nuclear counterattack capabilities.

The Rocket Force was established by upgrading the Second Artillery Corps during Xi Jinping's military reforms in 2015, with Xi personally overseeing its formation. It plays a central role in the military strategy for unifying Taiwan, officially designated as having 'combined nuclear and conventional capabilities for full-spectrum deterrence,' with responsibilities spanning multiple areas, including the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and nuclear counterattacks.

The phrase 'unifying Taiwan' is frequently mentioned by Xi Jinping, who has reiterated that he 'does not promise to renounce the use of force.' This goal is widely seen as Xi Jinping's core historical mission (or political legacy) aimed at consolidating his personal authority, establishing his historical significance, and achieving the so-called 'great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has noted that Xi views 'unifying Taiwan' as an unshakeable part of his 'historical mission plan.' In this context, 'unifying Taiwan' can be considered Xi Jinping's Achilles' heel.

If the intelligence of the Rocket Force were to be fully leaked to the United States, it would greatly undermine the Rocket Force's combat capabilities, turning Xi Jinping's strategic objective of unifying Taiwan into an unattainable dream. The individual responsible for leaking this intelligence would become a target for Xi Jinping's retribution. Senior generals like Wei Fenghe, who oppose initiating a war in the Taiwan Strait, including Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, have dared to challenge Xi Jinping's Achilles' heel, which is seen as an act of 'political disloyalty.' They have been arrested and retaliated against by Xi Jinping's faction under the pretext of anti-corruption, becoming victims of the CCP's ruthless purges.

In essence, whether they are government officials or military leaders, acts of corruption and bribery stem from a selfish desire to fulfil personal material interests. Xi Jinping's purging of military leaders who touch his Achilles' heel, framed as 'political disloyalty,' is also driven by personal motives. They are a disorganised group that exploits the authoritarian structure of the 'Communist Party' to maximise their own power and interests, completely detached from the notion of 'serving the people.' This realisation has led the Chinese public to become disillusioned, resulting in a widespread sense of apathy.

(First published by People News) △