U.S. President Donald Trump said that he plans to visit Beijing in April. But given the intensified infighting at the top of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s brutal military purges leaving everyone on edge, extreme political uncertainty, promises that Beijing never keeps, and widespread public desire for change, a Trump trip in April looks badly timed and likely more harmful than helpful.
Leadership Clash Has Pushed China’s Politics to Breaking Point
On Jan. 24, Xi’s regime suddenly announced that Politburo member and Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, along with CMC member and Joint Staff Department Chief Liu Zhenli, were being probed for “serious violations of discipline and law.” This is the usual CCP wording used to announce a high-level corruption or political probe.
Wang Youqun
Author
Wang Youqun holds a doctorate in law from the Renmin University of China. He previously worked as a copywriter for Wei Jianxing (1931–2015), a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, from 1997 to 2002.
