Xi Jinping will continue his misdeeds until his dying breath!"
Chen Shuhan April 05,2025
It is said that during his inspection tour in Guizhou last month, Xi Jinping hinted at the possibility of retirement in his speech, sparking heated discussions across Chinese-language media worldwide. Some speculated that Xi's health is failing, others claimed he has lost power in political struggles, and still others suggested he no longer controls the military. In short, many concluded that Xi’s retirement is entirely possible. In their view, Xi can no longer hold onto his "emperor" status—he will either step down soon or retire at the 21st Party Congress in 2027, with a fourth term being out of the question. However, I believe Xi’s retirement is a low-probability event. Unless he suddenly dies or becomes incapacitated like a vegetable, he will not relinquish his supreme power. He has gone through great lengths and schemed meticulously to achieve this highest position—how could he possibly let it go? It's like a dog gnawing on a bone with great pleasure—would it stop halfway? Therefore, to talk about Xi Jinping retiring is nothing short of a fantasy.
Many political commentators believe that Xi Jinping has already lost much of his power and is being forced into retirement by circumstances. Their reasoning is based on the fact that many senior officials in the Party, government, and military—whom Xi himself promoted—have been taken down one after another, along with a wave of personnel changes in key positions. From my perspective, no matter how many high-ranking officials appointed by Xi have fallen, or how many important posts have changed hands, none of this proves that Xi has lost power. On the contrary, it actually demonstrates just how dominant his power still is. In today’s China under the CCP, Xi still holds the power of discourse. The news on CCTV still places Xi at the forefront, and he continues to dominate the headlines and front pages of People’s Daily. In the more than seventy years since the CCP established its regime, has anyone ever seen a leader who has truly lost power still maintain control over public discourse? Therefore, there is only one true indicator of whether a CCP leader has lost power: discourse control. As long as Xi still firmly controls the narrative, how can anyone say he has lost power? And since Xi still holds the highest authority and clings to power as if it were his lifeblood, how could he possibly retire?!
So, here comes the question: If Xi Jinping still holds supreme power, why have so many high-ranking officials he previously promoted fallen from grace? Why have so many key positions seen personnel changes? This, in fact, further proves that Xi holds power firmly in his hands: he can elevate officials as he pleases, and he can just as easily bring them down. If Xi wants someone removed, they will be removed; if he wants someone promoted, they will be promoted. Doesn’t this clearly demonstrate that Xi is exercising his supreme authority at will?
For example, there are widespread rumors that Xi’s close ally, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission He Weidong, has run into trouble. Whether that’s true or not, let’s ask: He Weidong is the vice chairman of the CMC—who would have the power to bring him down? Only the chairman of the CMC, Xi Jinping himself, holds that authority. It’s definitely not, as some political commentators imagine, that He Weidong was taken down by Xi’s political rivals over corruption issues. In China under the CCP, whether an official is deemed corrupt isn’t up to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)—it’s up to Xi Jinping. The CCDI is merely a tool used by Xi to target others; Xi is the one wielding the tool.
Xi Jinping has been in power for twelve years, and those twelve years have been marked by misrule. Everything he has done has been aimed at preserving his grip on power, not improving the welfare of the people. The current disastrous state of China’s economy is entirely Xi’s doing—or in his own words, it is something he has “personally commanded and personally overseen.” Xi will not retire—because he cannot retire. China’s current mess needs someone to take the fall, and history offers many precedents. Looking just at the Communist regime: when Mao Zedong had driven the country to the brink of collapse, the Gang of Four took the blame for him. But Xi is not Mao. Mao was the founding leader of the nation and was seen as a god-like figure by the people of that era. No matter how much damage he caused, scapegoats could be found. Xi, by contrast, is merely a successor. His prestige and ability fall far short of Mao’s, and most of the public view him with disdain. No one will be willing to take the fall for him. That’s why he absolutely won’t step down. As a master of political scheming, he knows that only power can protect his life. As long as he remains in power, he can drag things out day by day. But the moment he gives up supreme authority, he will become the number-one target for reckoning. Regardless of whether his successor is someone he personally appointed or someone who rose to power through internal struggle, they will have every incentive to go after Xi—because that is the only way to gain public support. Given all this, Xi Jinping has no choice but to continue down this destructive path—right up to his final breath.
