Xi’s Paranoia: Even His Inner Circle Flees

Rumours are swirling that Wang Xiaohong, Xi Jinping’s trusted security chief and Public Security Minister, plans to step down citing “health issues.” This comes right after the dramatic falls of Ma Xingrui, Zhang Youxia, and Liu Zhenli. If Wang’s exit was announced alone, health reasons might seem believable. But the timing makes it obvious, it’s a desperate cover-up. Insiders say Wang and Cai Qi opposed Xi targeting top generals Zhang and Liu. Now, seeing Xi turn on his own circle, Wang wants out before it’s too late.

Wang, a Fujian native and Xi’s “knife” for internal control, handled brutal security crackdowns. Yet even he grabs the “health” excuse to flee. His title was already stripped late last year, signaling demotion. This fits a deadly pattern where Xi purges anyone who might challenge him. Just weeks ago, Politburo member Ma Xingrui once seen as Xi’s successor – was arrested mid-meeting by Zhang Youxia himself. Zhang and Liu Zhenli, vice-chairs of the Central Military Commission, were purged in January 2026 for “discipline violations. The purges go deeper. Since 2023, Xi’s anti-corruption drive hit the Rocket Force hard, former commanders Li Yuchao, Zhou Yaning, Wei Fenghe, and Defense Minister Li Shangfu expelled. Over 15 senior officers removed, including Equipment Development Department chiefs. Leaks reveal missile silo failures and mishandled fuel corruption crippled China’s nuclear readiness. Cai Qi, Xi’s propaganda “pen,” vanished after the 2025 4th Plenum. No one is safe.

This endless turnover shows zero trust in Xi’s inner circle. Elites hoard cash – leaked “office-buying” lists price Politburo seats at 30 million RMB ($4.2 million). Military now overrides the Party, with Zhang arresting Politburo members. Xi’s “self-revolution” talk masks raw power grabs. Even loyalists like Wang see backing Xi as a death sentence.

Xi’s obsession with control poisons every policy. Zero-COVID locked down China in 2022, crashing GDP growth to 3% and sparking rare protests. Now, youth unemployment hovers at 16.9% (Nov 2025), with 12 million graduates flooding a mismatched job market many turn to gig work or blue-collar jobs. Property crisis lingers, Evergrande’s collapse left 300 billion RMB in bad debt. Deflation bites, with consumer prices up just 0.2% in Jan 2026; economists predict no escape until 2027.

Rocket Force purges exposed corruption so deep missiles couldn’t launch – silo lids jammed, fuel corrupted. Taiwan threats ring hollow as PLA fractures. Diplomacy suffers too, Wolf Warrior style alienated Europe and Asia. Belt and Road debt traps (over $1 trillion loaned) see partners like Sri Lanka default and flee. Domestically, social credit surveillance tracks 1.4 billion citizens, Xinjiang camps hold 1 million Uyghurs and Tibetan boarding schools erase culture per recent UN report.

Every move serves Xi’s grip, not China’s rise. “Common prosperity” seized billions from tech giants like Alibaba, stifling innovation. Anti-corruption jailed 4.7 million officials since 2012 but fuels fear, not reform. Results: GDP target slips to 5% for 2026 amid deflation; exports prop up a hollow economy.

Xi’s control addiction creates a vacuum. No clear successors, fractured military, tanking trust. Wang’s flight warns once displeased, no escape. Cai Qi is next in line. Purges breed paralysis, policies sacrifice the nation for one man’s throne. China’s elites whisper, Xi does anything betray allies, wreck economy to stay on top. But when no one trusts the emperor, the empire crumbles from within.