No Resignation! Xi Reportedly Rejects Li Qiang as 82nd Group Army Moves In

Internal Power Struggle at the Fourth Plenum

• 💡 Rumors indicate Premier Li Qiang submitted a resignation letter, which Xi Jinping rejected, slamming the table and roaring, "No resignation allowed."
• 🎯 The CCP's Fourth Plenum is described as an "internal war" and a "showdown in Zhongnanhai", rather than a typical meeting.
• 🔑 Xi's rejection of Li Qiang's resignation reflects his fear of losing a "firewall", as Li serves as a buffer for responsibility, allowing policy failures to be attributed to the government level.

Military Movements and Factional Dynamics

• 🚀 The 82nd Group Army reportedly moved into Beijing on alert, with suspicions that Zhang Youxia and Liu Yuan are involved in encircling the Jingxi Hotel.
• 📰 The PLA Daily's front-page editorial displayed "schizophrenic loyalty," praising Xi while simultaneously announcing the expulsion of nine generals, many of whom Xi had promoted.
• ⚠️ This suggests a power struggle within the military, with Zhang Youxia potentially moving to cleanse Xi's men in Xi's name, indicating that Xi may not fully control the army.

Kai Qi's Ascendancy and Li Qiang's Diminished Role

• 📈 Kai Qi is seen as consolidating power, effectively controlling the General Office and reportedly monitoring Li Qiang's movements.
• 📉 Li Qiang is characterized as the "weakest premier" in history, with his economic decision-making power stripped away and the State Council's administrative system subservient to the Party.
• 💬 Factional signaling, such as leaks about Li Qiang's family and state media's focus on specific card games, highlights the intense internal conflict and power plays within Beijing's political circles.

Purging the Youth League Faction

• 🔥 On the eve of the plenum, three key figures from Hu Jintao's Youth League faction—Han Leiping, Zhang Ling, and Guan Chexiang—were abruptly removed from their posts.
• 🎯 These removals are widely interpreted as Xi's camp clearing opposition to preset the meeting's tone and ensure the "core is singular" with "no challenges allowed."
• ⏳ The fate of these removed officials, whether they face further purging or potential reinstatement, is believed to depend on the plenum's outcome and the stability of Xi's power.

The Stakes: Xi's Control and Succession

• 🚨 The core substance of the Fourth Plenum is whether Xi Jinping can retain the Central Military Commission (CMC) chairmanship, indicating a critical test of his authority.
• ⚔️ If Xi's health were to suddenly fail, it is widely anticipated that Kai Qi and Li Qiang would battle for supreme power, given the absence of a designated successor.
• 💥 The entire situation is described as an "internal nuclear detonation" within the CCP, where only those who "walk out of the Jingxi Hotel alive" will determine the future.