As the Beidaihe meeting is approaching, factional infighting within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has once again come under the spotlight. Although floods are wreaking havoc in parts of the country, the top leadership seems to care more about their political agendas and convening at the popular seaside resort in the coming weeks.
The Beidaihe meeting or “summer summit” is held each year between July and August, and is attended by current and former top echelons of the CCP. Party factions conduct informal negotiations, discuss major national policies, and finalize decisions—although details are kept secret. The meetings are accompanied by state-controlled media propaganda as well as endless rumors of power struggles, assassinations, and coups. Beidaihe is located on China’s northern Bohai Sea coast in Hebei Province.
Xi’s Grip Over Security
There are two pieces of news related to the reshuffling of the armed forces ahead of the Beidaihe meeting.First of all, state media reported that Xi Jinping replaced leaders of the Central Security Bureau with personnel from the Field Army. The Central Security Bureau is directly responsible for the safety of senior leaders and the CCP’s central headquarters, Zhongnanhai, in Beijing. Xi’s move suggests that he doesn’t trust many of the main cadres in the Central Security Bureau. In order to ensure his succession in the upcoming 20th National Congress and to better control his rivals, Xi transferred outsiders from the Field Army to take charge of Zhongnanhai bodyguards and to monitor high-level officials.
Police Commander Releases Statement
On July 24, another piece of news confirmed Xi’s move.He emphasized, “Implementing the Chairman Responsibility System of the Central Military Commission is critical to the highest military leadership for ensuring that both Party Central Committee and Central Military Commission have a firm grasp of the commanding authority.”
Li Weijie stressed that there would be zero tolerance toward behaviors “undermining the implementation of the Chairman Responsibility System.”
“The Armed Police Force ... must resolutely obey the command of Chairman Xi ... must deeply understand the commander’s [Xi] determination and intentions.”
Li’s statement reveals a crucial issue.
The timing of Li’s statement, which was released before the Beidaihe meeting, shows that Xi still faces resistance from factions in the military. Li’s allegiance to Xi serves as propaganda for army personnel. In recent years, Xi has frequently demanded the loyalty of the military, which in itself shows that the military is not loyal enough.