These days, all eyes are on the cracks forming in Trump’s world — Elon Musk making headlines, Tucker Carlson going rogue, and MAGA loyalists turning on each other.
But halfway across the globe, something just as wild is brewing — only quieter, and way more mysterious.
Top Chinese generals are vanishing.
Billionaires are under fire.
And deep inside Xi Jinping’s inner circle… loyalty is starting to crack.
What connects a Harvard-educated economist, a military leak, and a milk tea influencer? You’re about to find out.
Table of Contents
Liu He’s Journey – From Radios to Reforms
1. Back during Trump’s first term, China’s chief negotiator in the U.S.-China trade talks was Liu He.
2. Liu He grew up in Beijing with a silver spoon but was sent to a rural village in Jilin Province during the Cultural Revolution.
3. He joined the 38th Army as a soldier, then returned to Beijing and spent five years assembling radios in a factory.
4. His big break came in 1978 when college entrance exams were reinstated.
5. Being naturally bright, he scored among the top nationwide and got into Renmin University.
6. After graduating, Liu He studied at Harvard and began climbing the elite ranks, starting with the National Development and Reform Commission.
7. Despite his diverse experiences—farmer, worker, soldier, student, overseas scholar—he was known for having poor interpersonal relationships.
8. While at Harvard, he reportedly had no friends and failed to build any American networks.
9. However, someone did guide Liu He along his path.
10. That person is Xijinping.
11. They both attended Beijing 101 Middle School, making them schoolmates.
12. Liu He became deputy director of the General Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, which was chaired by Xi Jinping.
12. When Xi Jinping came to power, he began appointing Liu He to significant positions.
13. Once celebrated as Xi’s chief strategist, Liu He distanced himself from the inner circle due to corruption issues involving his son.
Family Ties and Financial Flaws
14. Liu He’s vulnerabilities included his son Liu Tianran’s personal issues and the misconduct of his business partner Liu Qiangdong.
15. In 2016, Liu Tianran founded the investment firm Skycus Capital.
16. Skycus heavily invested in JD.com affiliates, rapidly growing to manage assets exceeding 10 billion yuan within five years.
17. JD.com’s owner, Liu Qiangdong, is also known as the 17-years-older husband of “Milk Tea Girl,” Zhang Zetian, who gained fame from a photo of her holding milk tea.
18. After marrying Zhang Zetian, Liu Qiangdong traveled to the U.S. for business, where he was arrested following a sexual assault allegation by a yoga instructor.
19. Not only did Liu Qiangdong face issues, but Liu Tianran himself also became problematic.
20. Under Xi Jinping’s directive, if a parent holds a position in the Central Politburo, their children are prohibited from occupying related high-ranking roles.
21. Although Liu Tianran stepped down from Skycus Capital and transferred his shares, he handed them over to Tang Meng.
22. Tang Meng, with 17 years of service solely in national security and the military, had little experience in finance.
23. It was later revealed that Liu Tianran continued to act as the de facto owner behind the scenes, using Tang Meng as a front.
24. Given these circumstances, it’s implausible that Liu He was unaware, effectively violating Xi Jinping’s explicit rules.
25. In authoritarian regimes, while leaders might overlook subordinates’ corruption, they are intolerant of direct disobedience.
26. In November 2022, Liu He retired from the Politburo and was effectively forced into retirement, remaining only as a powerless vice premier.
27. On April 6, 2025, the Financial Times reported that Liu He’s son, Liu Tianran, has been under investigation for over six months on corruption charges.
28. This confirms much of the information that was speculated three years ago.
Secrets, Spies, and Scandals
29. The Financial Times article included an interview with Christopher Johnson, a former CIA officer and current head of the China Strategies Group.
30. Johnson stated, “The investigation into Liu He’s son indicates that something unusual is happening in China. Typically, high-ranking ‘princelings’ are spared from investigations if they return illicit gains. Liu Tianran’s arrest suggests that the control over this elite group is weakening.”
31. A former CIA chief analyst on China also told the Financial Times, “With his son under investigation, Vice Premier Liu He is likely constrained in his actions and appears to have lost the political influence needed to protect his son.”
32. Beyond Liu He’s downfall, other close associates of Xi Jinping who experienced rapid promotions are also encountering problems.
33. Qin Gang, who served as Xi’s chief of staff, experienced a similar downfall.
34. While rumors initially suggested Qin Gang’s affair with Hong Kong anchor Fu Xiaotian led to his fall, other narratives have emerged.
35. Observers familiar with Chinese politics believe that extramarital affairs are common among high-ranking officials and unlikely to be the sole reason for Qin Gang’s dismissal.
36. The issue between Qin Gang and Fu Xiaotian appears to be more complex than a mere affair.
37. In October 2022, the U.S.-based China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) released a 242-page report on China’s Rocket Force.
Military Moves and Missing Men
38. The report detailed the Rocket Force’s structure, its leadership, base locations, and missile types — down to a scary level of detail.
39. This wasn’t satellite stuff. These were deep, internal secrets — even junior officers wouldn’t normally have access to this level of intel.
40. China’s Communist Party launched an internal investigation, arresting Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao, political commissar Xu Zhongbo, and over ten top officers.
41. The commander and political head were both replaced. During the investigation, deputy commander Wu Guihua reportedly took his own life.
42. It turned out the leak came from Li Yuchao’s son — who had studied in the U.S.
43. While living abroad, the son allegedly got into drugs. When he ran out of money, he sold internal Rocket Force documents to American contacts — for a large sum.
44. At the time, China’s ambassador to the U.S. was Qin Gang.
45. Qin was reportedly briefed on the Rocket Force leak and that it had likely come through the commander’s son.
46. Qin’s rumored girlfriend, Fu Xiaotian, was not just a TV anchor — she was also reportedly tied to China’s top military intelligence bureau.
47. That bureau — China’s General Staff Department 2nd Bureau — is like Beijing’s version of the CIA or Mossad.
48. Commander Li Yuchao apparently asked Fu to help bury the scandal. Qin then failed to report the full story to the Party.
49. Even though Qin wasn’t directly involved in the leak, Xi Jinping saw the cover-up as a betrayal — as if he’d been lied to personally.
50. That loss of trust cost Qin everything. He stepped down from all roles and disappeared from public life completely.
Power Games and Faction flames
51. Xi’s most trusted allies weren’t just in politics — many held key positions in the military too.
52. The most powerful among them was He Weidong, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission.
53. The Commission has only two vice chairs, who report straight to Xi and oversee China’s entire military — all 2 million troops.
54. In terms of ranking, He Weidong was number 3 in the military, right after Xi and vice chair Zhang Youxia.
55. But in April 2025, the Financial Times reported that He Weidong had been removed and was under investigation for corruption.
56. Investigators were digging into shady real estate deals and alleged affairs with subordinates.
57. He Weidong isn’t the only one who suddenly vanished after the March 11 close of China’s National People’s Congress.
58. Top commanders — Wang Houbin (Rocket Force), Lin Xiangyang (Eastern Theater), and Wang Shubin (Southern Theater) — also disappeared from official records.
59. These disappearances had one thing in common.
60. All of them were part of the “Fujian Clique” — a group of officials who rose through the ranks with Xi when he worked in Fujian Province.
61. The Chinese military was long seen as split between the Fujian Clique (now in trouble) and the Shanxi Clique, tied to vice chair Zhang Youxia — which is gaining steam.
62. Of the Fujian loyalists, only one major figure is still standing: Defense Minister Dong Jun.
63. Right now, the military’s power seems to be consolidating under Zhang Youxia and the Shanxi faction.
64. Rumors are flying that Xi isn’t leading the purge himself — it could be that the Shanxi camp is targeting the Fujian group by tying them to corruption and sweeping them out.
65. Recently, China’s military newspaper published a strongly worded opinion piece titled “Uphold Collective Leadership.”
66. It argued that major decisions must be made through group discussion. No one — no matter how powerful — should rise above the leadership team.
67. Taiwan’s United Daily News interpreted this as a subtle but sharp challenge to Xi’s “one-man rule” style — a rare sign of pushback from within.
When Power Stands on Too Few Shoulders
Xi Jinping’s power rests on a tight-knit inner circle known as the “Xi Family Army” — a small squad of loyalists he’s known since school days and his time as a regional official. They’re not many. But they’re everything. Like a powerful Ultralisk in StarCraft, Xi may look unstoppable on his own. But even the strongest unit can fall when surrounded by a swarm of Zerglings.
In other words: when the system relies on too few, one crack isn’t just a risk — it’s a strategy waiting to happen.
Xi’s greatest strength? Loyalty.
His greatest weakness? It’s the same thing.
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