Foreign minister and defense minister also ousted due to extramarital affair allegations?Abnormal situation where gossip spreads under dictatorship
Is Chinese President Xi Jinping starting to purge his inner circle? (Photo: Kyodo)
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There are constant rumors that a major purge has begun in China under President Xi Jinping. The foreign minister was dismissed for having an affair, and the defense minister is also said to have been ousted.
Under such circumstances, China watchers are paying close attention to Premier Li Qiang. Since the other day, information about Prime Minister Li Qiang’s wife and daughter has been circulating on the internet.
The truth or falsity of this is unknown, but the fact that gossip among close aides was spread so much under a dictatorship is itself an abnormal situation. Is the Xi Jinping regime terminally ill?
(Kaori Fukushima: Journalist)
Xi Jinping has begun purging his favorite subordinates, Chikanobu (aides). In July 2022, Goin Hata, who had just assumed the post of foreign minister in December 2022, was dismissed from his post due to “lifestyle” issues (he had an affair and the partner gave birth in the United States). It was reported in September*2 that Lee Sang-bok, who had just been appointed as Minister of Defense and State Councilor in March of this year, would be ousted. China watchers are now paying close attention to who will be ousted next, which is Prime Minister Li Qiang.
*1: Is the beautiful newscaster with whom disappeared Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and rumored to have had an affair a double agent? (July 21, JBpress)
*2: China’s defense minister also loses office? The rumors of the dismissal of the foreign minister for extramarital affairs also indicate Xi Jinping’s purge of the PLA (September 22, JBpress)
This is because rumors about the corruption of Li Qiang’s wife and daughter have been spreading rapidly on the Chinese internet the other day.
What is being spread online is the biography and photos of Li Qiang’s wife and daughter posted on a blog called China Front. I am not confident about the authenticity of this information either. If you think about it, almost no information about the Li Qiang family has been made public.
However, it appears to contain information that is not completely fake, and many China watchers are paying attention. Let’s take a quick look at what rumors are spreading.
First, the information being circulated about Li Qiang’s wife includes her career, family register information, and the value of real estate she owns. It is well known that Li Qiang focused on the promotion of private enterprises during his time as a bureaucrat in Zhejiang Province, and that he had close ties with other Zhejiang private entrepreneurs, including Alibaba founder Jack Ma. It has also been pointed out that behind Li Qiang’s connections was the influence of his wife, who had brilliant relationships with top executives and executives of large Chinese companies.
As with his wife, there are detailed descriptions of Li Qiang’s daughter’s career and personal connections. What is noteworthy is that it points out the close relationship with European and American companies.
If this information about his wife and daughter is true, there is a good chance that Li Qiang will be ousted as a corrupt bureaucrat with ties to Western companies. That’s why China watchers are analyzing this blog with open eyes.
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2023-09-29 21:00:00
