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On May 29, 2024, Chinese defector Yao Cheng, who served as a lieutenant-colonel in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and defected to the U.S. in 2016, shared a video to his YouTube channel in which he said that Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan has for eight years been holding a concealed and unofficial position which grants her significant authority over the promotion and dismissal of generals in the PLA, giving her the ability to control the constituents of the Central Military Commission and to make it like a "family-run business." The video was released on the backdrop of the recent disclosure of an undated photo showing Peng inspecting the PLA Naval University of Engineering in Wuhan.
Yao Cheng: "At this time, she [Peng Liyuan] was actually working as a full-time assessor for the Central Military Commission’s Cadre Review Committee. We have also checked some of the organizations of the Military Commission , there is no such organization as the Cadre Review Committee. It’s just a standalone role, called a full-time assessor, meaning she’s the only one. Of course, she must have an office. I asked some friends in Beijing about this situation, but none of them knew about it either.
"So why has this matter been disclosed? It’s about her recent recent inspection of the PLA Naval University of Engineering, which we call 'Haigong', in Wuhan, with a photo. Regarding this inspection, the specific month and year are unclear. It should be mentioned that she conducted this inspection after July 2017, after taking office, but the exact year and day are unknown. However, this photo has been hanging in a prominent position on a wall at the PLA Naval University of Engineering. But no one paid much attention to it.
"The curious thing, the unusual thing, is why this photo has been disclosed at this particular time. There are two possibilities for this disclosure. One is that people who oppose Xi Jinping or have objections to him Took this photo and posted it online. it cannot be ruled out that Xi Jinping himself disclosed this photo. By disclosing it before the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP], it serves as a precautionary measure for the military, letting everyone know about Peng Liyuan’s position. Therefore, in fact, Peng Liyuan has been in charge of the promotion and dismissal of generals in the military for eight years, and no one knew about it.
"After digging this out, it means that in reality, Peng Liyuan is controlling the military, And the promotions of those generals close to Xi Jinping are actually decided by Peng Liyuan.
"This gives everyone a feeling that the current Central Military Commission is like a family-run business, where they, as a couple, have the final say. This is quite eerie. There are two possibilities that I just mentioned. One is that those who oppose Xi Jinping and are dissatisfied with him revealed this matter during the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, clearly have opinions on Xi and his wife controlling the military. This has disrupted the entire system of military cadre appointments.
"When chatting with friends, I said, 'Who holds the most power in China now? It’s not Xi Jinping, it’s Peng Liyuan.' This thing has caused a big reaction within the military. I tend to think it’s the opposition deliberately leaking this photo and stirring things up online. Why? The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee will undoubtedly make major adjustments to the military leadership. The military is unhappy with these adjustments. Since Xi Jinping control of the military, there has been a vigorous 'anti-corruption campaign,' with many people, from major generals to generals, not to mention colonels, arrested. Nearly 300 people. Think about it, a country with more than 300 generals gone.
"Online, people have been saying that Xi Jinping is restructuring the military, but no one knows how. In fact, Peng Liyuan is in charge. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee is about to be held, and the current military is very dissatisfied with Xi Jinping. The main issue is that the regular cadre appointment and dismissal system is controlled by him and his wife, especially a woman. I’m not discriminating against women, but how can Peng Liyuan understand cadre appointments? After she took this position, she practically sidelined the entire cadre department of the army.
"In China now, the most powerful person is Peng Liyuan because she controls the military. However, her eight years of controlling the military have been a failure. One reason is that she doesn’t understand the operations; she hasn’t followed the regular regulations for appointing and removing military cadres, military officer service regulations, and a series of other rules and systems. The military is discontented. She favors nepotism, promoting her own fellow countrymen and those she favors. The military was a large number of talented individuals, favoring those who flatter. Do you think the army has a problem with that? Therefore, I tend to believe that the disclosure of this photo reflect the army’s strong dissatisfaction with Xi Jinping’s 'husband and wife store.'"
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