Politico: A Stalin-style purge sweeping China

A report from U.S. media on December 6 revealed that Xin Gang, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and high-ranking officials of China's missile forces, were purged after being accused of collusion with the West by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko. Further information from undisclosed sources indicated that Xin Gang, the former foreign minister, either committed suicide or was tortured in July of this year. It also pointed out that a Stalin-style purge is spreading across China, targeting officials believed to have close ties with the West. According to Politico, on June 25 of this year, just six months after assuming the position of Chinese foreign minister, Xin Gang met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko in Beijing and has yet to be seen since. Some individuals with connections to high-ranking officials of China's missile forces revealed that Rudenko's true mission during that visit to Beijing was to inform Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the West had bribed Xin Gang and high-ranking officers of the missile forces. Their relatives had assisted in transferring sensitive information about Beijing's nuclear weapons to Western intelligence agencies. Xi Jinping was reportedly furious upon learning this, leading to the disappearance of Xin Gang and the subsequent purge of the missile forces witnessed by the international community. Almost simultaneously with Xin Gang's disappearance, Missile Forces Commander Li Yuqiao, Deputy Commander Liu Guangbin, and former Deputy Commander Zhang Zhenzhong vanished. According to Chinese state media, some current and former high-ranking officials of the missile forces are currently in detention, and at least one former deputy commander has died from an unknown illness. Immediately after the official announcement of the missile forces' purge, Li Shangfu, appointed by Xi Jinping as the Minister of National Defense in March of this year, also disappeared and was officially dismissed at the end of October. Politico describes the sudden death of former Chinese Premier Li Kuxiang as a disturbing sign. It pointed out that, in the minds of many Chinese citizens, the heart attack in the swimming pool also carries a similar meaning to falling from a window, a fate common to Russian officials who offend President Putin. Politico suggests that events related to diplomatic and military officials indicate instability at the highest levels of Beijing, revealing something rotten with Xi Jinping's regime. The article describes Beijing as undergoing a Stalin-style purge with paranoid overtones. Since Xi Jinping came to power, relentless purges have removed millions of officials. Still, the significant difference in the cases of Xin Gong and Li Shangfu compared to previous incidents is that both were considered loyal supporters of Xi. It raised suspicion about the stability of Xi Jinping's regime and sparked concerns about Xi's increasing paranoia and the lack of trustworthy officials around him. According to commentator Yang Zhen, there are fears that an isolated and paranoid Xi Jinping might miscalculate and provoke an armed conflict with a weaker neighboring country or even launch a comprehensive invasion of democratic Taiwan to divert attention. U.S. media points out that Xi Jinping's paranoia has permeated all levels of China's government machinery and economy. A senior Chinese financial official fluent in English and regularly participating in international conferences told Politico via email that he could no longer attend upcoming events outside China or communicate by phone. He is among dozens of high-ranking financial officials recently dismissed, usually after being accused of corruption. A colleague of this official said he is currently being investigated for being too close to the U.S. and might be considered a spy. U.S. media highlights the strange atmosphere in Beijing filled with chaos as a warning sign for those who still believe that Beijing will remain open to the West.