Unconfirmed reports from China suggest that Liu Yazhou, a retired Chinese Air Force General, may face a sentence to death with a reprieve, which could be commuted to life in prison. Liu has been investigated on corruption charges since 2021, but some suggest that his arrest may have been motivated by his public disagreements with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Prior to his arrest, Liu was a military role model and rising star within the CCP. He was born into a prominent military family, grew up as a second-generation communist, and was well-educated. Additionally, his wife was a childhood neighbor and playmate of Xi, and his father-in-law was Li Xiannian, the former state chairman of China from 1983 to 1988 and one of the Eight Elders of the CCP during the Deng Xiaoping era. This makes Liu’s case even more intriguing.
Liu Yazhou was born in 1952 in Ningbo, Zhejiang. His father was a veteran of the CCP’s New Fourth Army and served as the deputy political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region. At the age of 16, Liu began serving in his father’s unit and joined the CCP at the age of 18.
Liu Yazhou Rose to Prominence During the Reign of Jiang
Liu’s formal career took off during the former CCP leader Jiang Zemin’s era. From 1996 through 2012, he advanced through the Air Force ranks of Major General, Lieutenant General, and General. During this time, he served as the Director of the Air Force Political Department in the Beijing Military Region, Deputy Political Commissar of the Air Force, and Political Commissar of the National Defense University. Liu was also a member of the 18th Central Committee of the CCP. He retired in 2017 before reaching the age of 65.Liu’s proficiency in Western languages and his experience studying abroad laid the foundation for him to become an influential leader within the CCP and on the international stage. He had interactions with former U.S. Department of Defense adviser Michael Pillsbury and wrote the preface for the Chinese version of Pillsbury’s book, “The Hundred-Year Marathon.”
Upsetting the Top Leader
Since coming into power ten years ago, Xi has solidified his authority by eliminating the Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao factions. He has also worked to prevent a military coup, but his troops’ loyalty is not absolute. Unlike his predecessors Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, Xi lacks military experience.At the beginning of Xi’s reign, Liu supported Xi and wrote articles praising him. In May 2013, he published an article titled “Defending the Sacred ‘Party Nature’'' in the party-run People’s Daily to show his loyalty.
A collection of Liu Yazhou’s internal speeches published in Los Angeles in 2014, collected by the East Asia Library at Princeton University, contains extensive discussions of Liu’s views on the Taiwan issue. (See the picture below)
On page 106, Liu Yazhou said: “I do not advocate rashly using force against Taiwan, especially not an attack where both sides suffer... The liberation of Taiwan is a civil war, and even if the victory is glorious, it is a loss and harm to our own country and nation.”
Bai Ling had been an artistic soldier in the Chengdu Military Region stationed in Linzhi, Tibet. She testified before the U.S. Congress, claiming leaders of the People’s Liberation Army had sexually assaulted her. She later had an abortion, which left her with deep emotional scars.
Deeply Rooted in CCP Culture
Although Liu Yazhou had a pro-American inclination, he ultimately benefited from the Communist Party’s dividends and became a beneficiary.To show loyalty to the CCP’s top echelons, in June 2013, Liu planned and participated in releasing the anti-American propaganda film, “Silent Contest.” The film alleges that the United States is involved in an “anti-China conspiracy” and emphasizes ideological struggle and Cold War thinking. Additionally, the film contains defamatory remarks about Falun Gong and names Chinese liberal scholars Mao Yushi and He Weifang as spokespeople for the US subversion of the CCP.
Although critics believe that the “Silent Contest” was a certificate of loyalty from Liu to the CCP, it was insufficient to prevent his arrest and imprisonment. Not just for the economic corruption he was charged with, but also for his willingness to express opposing opinions to Xi.