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China - Xi Jinping

⬅️ Hub: China · Previous: China - Philosophy and Culture · Next: China - Xinjiang

Biographical, political, domestic-rule, and purge notes on Xi Jinping.

Xi Jinping

  • China, the U.S. & the Rise of Xi Jinping (full documentary) - FRONTLINE - YouTube
  • Wants the dethrone the U.S. dollar
  • Wants to be dominant in the World
  • Speaks all the time about hostile foreign forces, core of sense of U.S.-China relationship. It’s hostile.
  • Wants to be seen as equals with the U.S.
  • Father purged by Mao (8 years in prison)
    Misc/Documents/0d7e47aae3d8eafb9dceed6e883c142e_MD5.jpeg
  • Xi was in the “black elements” (unhuman) for Mao’s Cultural Revolution
    • Struggle sessions
    • Dunce Cap
    • Publicly denounced by mother
    • Sister Suicide
    • Worked as a peasant even though he was a princeling city kid
  • Formed a deep belief in control, order, and political conformity.
  • Parental connection disfigured, disconnected, lacking connection
  • Part in excile part of Xi creation myth
    • Transformation into hardcore communism
  • Tell the children, “learn to eat bitterness, it’ll be good for you.”
  • Mastered the Mao’s toolkit, be redder than the reddest
    • Drank the Kool-Aid of the Cultural Revolution to be the best communist to survive
  • Went to best Chinese University
    • Chemical Engineering
  • Rose through the ranks of Local Government
  • Never spoke ever about Tiananmen Square
  • Always sensitive to the central party vibe to align himself
  • Governed coastal provinces like Fujian and Shanghai — seen as competent, corruption-fighting.
  • Elevated to Politburo Standing Committee (China’s top leadership) in 2007.
  • Involved in the 2008 Beijing Olympics — a “test” he passed.
  • Wants to eliminate Deng legacy and embrace Mao.
  • Aligned himself with the military
  • Xi has chosen consolidation of power (nationalism) rather than international engagement.
  • In 2018: Xi abolished term limits, allowing him to remain president for life.

Elected Party General Secretary in 2012; President in 2013.

Domestic Rule

  • Massive Centralization of Power:
    • Anti-corruption campaign purged rivals and consolidated control. (80,000 people investigated just by 2017)
    • Purged even his own loyalists — likened to Stalin’s and Mao’s governing styles.
  • Surveillance State:
    • 600 million surveillance cameras; creation of a Social Credit System.
    • Internet censorship (the “Great Firewall”), banning Google, Facebook, memes mocking Xi.
    • Makes Orwell look like the stone-age
    • Techno-autocratic system
  • Uyghur Repression:
    • Over 1 million Uyghurs placed into “re-education” camps in Xinjiang.
    • Suppression of religious and cultural practices; mass forced labor allegations.
  • Hong Kong Crackdown:
    • Ended “one country, two systems” after the 2019 protests.
      • Case study on how China lies (50 Year Promise)
    • Imposed a National Security Law that crushed dissent.
    • Xi was smart not to march soldiers—instead used police and quietly locked protestors up

Domestic Challenges Facing Xi

  • Economic Struggles:
    • Real estate crisis (housing glut), slowing growth, aging workforce.
    • Youth unemployment around 25%; foreign investment declining.
  • COVID Lockdowns and Protests:
    • “Zero-COVID” policies triggered massive White Paper Movement protests.
    • Largest anti-government protests since Tiananmen.
  • Nationalism over Prosperity:
    • Xi is prioritizing political control and nationalism over economic liberalization.
    • Many experts believe he’s chosen the “darker path”.

Purges

🛡️ Military and Defense Officials

1. General He Weidong

2. Admiral Miao Hua

3. General Li Shangfu

4. General Wei Fenghe

5. Dong Jun

  • Position: Minister of National Defense (2024–present).
  • Status: Under investigation for fraud; remains in position as of the latest reports. ​El País

6. PLA Rocket Force Leadership

  • Position: Commanders of China’s strategic missile force.
  • Status: Both top commanders removed in 2023 amid corruption probes. ​IP Quarterly

7. General Lin Xiangyang

  • Position: Commander of the Eastern Theatre Command.
  • Status: Reportedly arrested in early 2025. ​Homepage

8. General Xu Caihou

9. General Guo Boxiong

  • Position: Former Vice Chairman of the CMC.
  • Status: Convicted of bribery in 2016. ​

🏛️ Political and Security Officials

10. Zhou Yongkang

  • Position: Former Politburo Standing Committee member; head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.
  • Status: Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015 for corruption and abuse of power. ​

11. Ling Jihua

  • Position: Former head of the United Front Work Department.
  • Status: Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016 for bribery and abuse of power. ​IP Quarterly

12. Sun Lijun

  • Position: Former Vice Minister of Public Security.
  • Status: Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 for corruption. ​Wikipedia

13. Fu Zhenghua

  • Position: Former Minister of Justice.
  • Status: Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 for corruption. ​Wikipedia

📊 Scope of the Purge