A year at the center of China’s coup rumors on social media

Unfounded reports that the Chinese president Xi Jinping Under house arrest and that China is in the midst of a military coup It went viral on social media on Saturday.

Among the unproven rumors circulating was that Li Qia Ming, a general in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, had replaced Xi.

Lee was born in 1961 and was promoted to general – the highest rank in the People’s Liberation Army – in 2019, according to Indian television station Odisha TV. Li is also a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Li has been considered a contender for service as a member of China’s Central Military Commission – a committee with military decision-making power – according to news outlet Nikkei Asia. Several members of the seven-member body are expected to retire next month.

Nikkei Asia reported that Li wrote an article that resonated with Xi, who wanted to increase the Communist Party’s control of the military.

An article by Lee stated, according to the outlet, that “the Soviet Union collapsed because the party did not have an army of its own.”

Indian Twitter The accounts appear to be prominently promoting rumors about the Chinese president.

It was rumored that Xi had been ousted by Indian politician Subramanian Swami, who tweeted on Saturday: “When Xi was in Samarkand recently, CCP leaders were supposed to have removed Xi from the party’s army official. House arrest followed. So The rumors spread.

Last week, shi Attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Leaders Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and met with the Russian President Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In his opening speech, Putin wished Xi a success at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China Congress next month. CCP members are is expected To give Xi an unprecedented third term as leader in the twice-decade event, which traditionally includes a change of leadership after two terms.

Gordon Chang, a China expert and author of the book, China’s coming collapseOn Saturday, he tweeted that “the lack of news from #China over the past few hours indicates that the coup rumors are not true, but everything that has happened within the #Chinese military over the past 3 days – something unusual has clearly happened – tells us there is turmoil within the president.” # CCP Command.

Unexpected events in #China I started right after that #XiJinping back from #Uzbekistan And he disappeared from view for days, which is unusual for him. There are very few coincidences in the elite #CCP Politics “.

In an interview with Newsmax On Saturday, Zhang said there have been “extraordinary” and “unusual” events that have occurred in China over the past few days, including the country’s decision to cancel 60 percent of its flights on Wednesday and suspend high-speed bus and train trips in and out of China. Beijing.

He also noted that a video widely shared on Twitter also shows a group of military vehicles up to 80 kilometers long bound for Beijing amid reports of a military coup.

“There was a lot of smoke, indicating a fire somewhere. We don’t think there was really a coup, but at this point there have been some very worrying developments at the head of the Communist Party as well as at the head of the People’s Liberation Army, which reports to the party, There is a fatal error.”

NEWSWEEK I contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy for comment.