by Inconvenient Truths — Jennifer Zeng Reports at X
I. Overall Assessment**
Xi Jinping has not yet stabilized the situation
The Zhang Youxia faction continues to take action
The highest power structure of the Chinese Communist Party has not completed restructuring
The military mutiny and coup attempt failed, and the matter has not yet been concluded
Multiple factions have already intervened and formed a de facto joint balance
Negotiations are underway; this is the only internally coherent logic that explains all abnormal phenomena
This is a forced and unfinished power restructuring, rather than a coup that has already succeeded or failed.
II. Assessment of Key Time Points**
1. The evening of January 18 was cross-confirmed by multiple parties as the time when the actual conflict occurred, marking the starting point of a rupture in the power structure
2. January 19–20:
Internal information began to circulate
Externally it remained at the “rumor stage”
The authorities had not yet formed a unified external narrativeThis indicates that an internally publishable power characterization had not yet been formed.
III. Assessment of Factional Structure and Modes of Action**
The current actors are not a single faction
Zhang Youxia’s military mutiny and coup did not succeedXi Jinping’s countermeasures of arrests and purge actions also did not fully succeed
The Jiang Zemin faction, the Ye Jianying faction, and Liu Yuan （former Chinese Chairman Li Shaoqi’s son) may all have intervenedThis is not the action of a single faction
Multiple factions joined forces, compelled into cooperationThis is a “forced alliance,” not a “voluntary alliance”
The objectives of all parties are not completely aligned
Dissatisfaction with Xi Jinping is the basis for cooperation
Therefore, negotiations inevitably begin
A unified alternative authority cannot be formed quicklyTime is needed to coordinate interests and security boundaries
Preserving the Party and preserving the regime are the driving forces
IV. Assessment of Xi Jinping’s Current Position**
1. He has not fully taken control of the situation
If he had already taken control:
There should not be a continued vacuum of official information
The status of key figures should not be abnormal
Lists of names and propaganda narratives should have been quickly unified
2. Even if he ultimately retains his position, his power will inevitably shrink
Xi Jinping has been repeatedly accused of having reached an internally unbearable risk threshold within the system
If he falls into a disadvantage, he may relinquish the position of Chairman of the Central Military Commission
If he holds a dominant position, he may abolish the Central Military Commission structure
V. Evidence Chain That Negotiations Are Underway**
1. Abnormal official information
No new authoritative videos
Zhang Youxia’s name has not been removed from official websites (including the Chinese Communist Party website)
Central-level media are collectively silent
No important military officials have come forward to declare loyalty to Xi or take sides2. Abnormal status of key individuals
Xi Jinping’s elder sister Qi Qiaoqiao has not left her residence at the Shenzhen Guesthouse since the 19th
Her behavior pattern is clearly inconsistent with the past
The guesthouse is under a high-security state, involving control/protection/isolation
VI. Logic of Representative Figures / Intermediaries**
It is necessary for “non-direct parties” to step forward
To serve as buffers
To convey bottom lines
To avoid direct confrontation among all parties
Wen Jiabao is regarded as a feasible candidate
The key is not power
But his historical image of “not clearly taking sides”
He is suitable as a transitional communication node
The Jiang Zemin faction, the Ye Jianying faction, and Liu Yuan are participating
In addition: it was already stated two days ago that Hu Jintao has passed away
VII. The Issue of a Hereditary Successor Is a Structural Risk**
The hereditary successor arranged by Xi is a long-term hidden danger
Information has long been strictly sealed
It has never been officially confirmed
Multiple “smokescreens” have been deliberately released
Different regions
Different backgrounds
At least four target individuals or regions
A hereditary successor in Ningxia has been specifically mentioned
His official career path closely replicates Xi Jinping’s early trajectory
High-level security has already been involved
The credibility is significantly higher than other options
VIII. External Media and Some Influencers Are Getting It Wrong**
Internal sources within the Chinese Communist Party deny current interpretations of the Zhang Youxia incident by mainstream English-language media, Such as claims by the New York Times Chinese edition
And the Wall Street Journal’s reports alleging that Zhang sold nuclear intelligence to the United States; these should be regarded as deliberately released pretexts for conviction
These media should be directly identified as:
Media controlled by the Chinese Communist Party
They fabricate narratives to divert attention
Internal sources also deny the so-called “technical delay theory”Saying it reflects a serious ignorance of how the Chinese Communist Party operates
They also deny the narrative-building by some major influencersSaying those narratives divert focus and manufacture alternative explanations
That are not internally coherent
At present, the situation is in a state of contest/negotiation/stalemate/mutual deterrence…
The above information comes from Canadian writer Sheng Xue @ShengXue_ca
Latest Developments in the Zhang Youxia Incident
1⃣**I. Overall Assessment**
Xi Jinping has not yet stabilized the situation
The Zhang Youxia faction continues to take action
The highest power structure of the Chinese Communist Party has not completed restructuring
The… https://t.co/uV8wIqQvVG pic.twitter.com/t1HolgKgQE
— Inconvenient Truths — Jennifer Zeng Reports (@jenniferzeng97) January 27, 2026
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How Xi’s Purge Is Pushing China Toward Warlordism. Xi Started a Cultural Revolution inside PLA — And Can’t End It. China Can’t Invade Taiwan Anymore.
by Ken Cao-The China Crash Chronicle
What happens when a leader destroys the chain of command he depends on?
Xi Jinping’s arrest of Zhang Youxia wasn’t just a purge — it shattered the PLA’s command structure. In this video, I explain why taking down China’s top active-duty general risks pushing the military toward fragmentation and modern warlordism, not greater control.
I break down the historical parallels with Lin Biao and the Cultural Revolution, why the Central Military Commission is now effectively paralyzed, and why this makes a Taiwan war far less likely — while increasing internal instability.
WATCH:
How Xi’s Purge Is Pushing China Toward Warlordism. Xi Started a Cultural Revolution inside PLA — And Can’t End It. China Can’t Invade Taiwan Anymore.
What happens when a leader destroys the chain of command he depends on?
Xi Jinping’s arrest of Zhang Youxia wasn’t just a purge… pic.twitter.com/T0hA14BarI— Ken Cao-The China Crash Chronicle (@Ken_LoveTW) January 28, 2026
https://x.com/Ken_LoveTW/status/2016521646556033487
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