_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
Last weekend, China announced that its two most senior generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, were removed from office and placed under investigation for serious disciplinary violations. Chinese state media accused them of undermining President Xi Jinping's authority and accepting bribes. The Wall Street Journal reported that Zhang was selling nuclear secrets to the United States.
But the story took a dramatic turn when unverified reports circulated online claiming a violent coup attempt. According to these accounts, Zhang sent troops to arrest Xi at a government hotel on January 18, but the president was alerted beforehand, and his security forces killed dozens of the plotters in a firefight. Beijing has not addressed these specific claims.
_THE FACTS_
Zhang Youxia was the People's Liberation Army's most senior general and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Zhang allegedly leaked China's nuclear weapons technical data to the CIA for personal gain.
Unconfirmed reports claim Zhang sent over 100 troops to arrest Xi on January 18 at the Yingxi Hotel in western Beijing.
The same report alleges Xi's Central Guards Bureau ambushed Zhang's soldiers, killing nine guards and dozens of attackers in a gunfight.
Throughout China, military movements were reportedly banned, and troops were confined to barracks following the alleged coup attempt.
Chinese state media confirmed Zhang and Liu were placed under investigation but made no mention of a coup attempt, citing only "serious violations of discipline and law."
Some two dozen senior military figures have been dismissed or investigated since 2022 for corruption and procurement issues.
Zhang had a decades-old family connection to Xi dating back to the Chinese Civil War between their fathers.
Zhang is accused of forming "political cliques" and accepting bribes in exchange for military promotions.
Multiple foreign policy analysts have questioned whether the coup story is credible, arguing that it is highly unlikely anyone could realistically challenge Xi.
_INSIGHTS_
The coup narrative raises serious questions. A firefight killing dozens of soldiers in central Beijing would be impossible to conceal from foreign diplomats, journalists, and the thousands of residents in the area.
The story may ultimately represent a deliberate disinformation operation by the Chinese Communist Party. Allowing unverified coup rumors to spread could be their effort downplay the fact that their top general had been compromised by the US. However, Xi can use this to strengthen his position by portraying himself as having survived an existential challenge, providing justification for further military purges and centralization of power.
