Xi’s Most Trusted Ally Collapses? How Yu Menglong’s Death Is the Final Blow to Cai Qi?

The Yu Menglong Scandal

• 💡 The death of Chinese actor Yu Menglong on September 11th, allegedly after falling from a building, has sparked widespread rumors and suspicion.
• 📌 Key producer Xin Qi is at the center of the storm, with claims suggesting he is the illegitimate son of Cai Qi, a Politburo Standing Committee member.
• ⚠️ Despite Beijing police ruling out a criminal case, sources suggest Yu Menglong was murdered to silence him regarding a "red USB" containing evidence of money laundering in the entertainment industry.
• 💬 Yu Menglong was reportedly detained, beaten, and interrogated about the USB, with online rumors describing horrific methods used to extract evidence.

Cai Qi's Political Standing

• 🎯 Cai Qi, a native of Fujian, is considered Xi Jinping's "core ally" and holds at least five key positions within the CCP, effectively acting as Xi's right-hand man.
• 📈 He has accompanied Xi on nearly all foreign visits, oversees security, and manages Xi's daily affairs, making him the main channel linking Xi Jinping with the party apparatus.
• 📉 Despite his loyalty, Cai Qi has faced heavy online criticism for his "overly fawning praise" of Xi Jinping and for continuing to use slogans that other CCP leaders avoid.

Parallels to Past Power Struggles

• 🔍 The Yu Menglong case draws striking similarities to the 2012 car crash of Ling Gu, son of then-director Ling Jihua, which triggered a political domino effect and reshaped the CCP's landscape.
• 🧩 Both incidents involve mysterious deaths, cover-ups, and allegations of political infighting within the CCP's upper echelons.
• ⚠️ The aggressive censorship and disappearance of blogger Lan Beuan after investigating the Yu Menglong case further fuel suspicions of larger political forces at play.

Potential Political Ramifications

• ⚡ Commentators suggest the Yu Menglong affair has serious implications reaching all the way to Zhongnanhai, Cai Qi, and Xi Jinping.
• 🔑 There is a widely shared view that the incident could be the "last straw" that topples Cai Qi, much like Ling Jihua's downfall, potentially impacting Xi Jinping's inner circle.
• 📜 Historically, incidents like the Tiananmen Square incident or the An Lushan Rebellion demonstrate how single events can become political turning points and reshape power dynamics in China.