'Xi’s purge is not about corruption, It’s about command reprogramming’: Chinese journalist

Independent journalist Zhao Lanjian, who first reported the detention of several top Chinese generals months before Beijing’s official confirmation, is one of the few exile reporters whose early disclosures on China's military power structure have repeatedly matched later official announcements.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

A former citizen-journalist from mainland China now based in the United States, Zhao is regarded as an independent source on elite politics within the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

His reports — from the purges in Rocket Force to the fall of Defence Minister LiShangfu — have often preceded state-media confirmation by months.

In December 2023, Zhao coined the term “Great Purge” on social media to describe the arrest of LiShangfu and the sweeping cleanup within China's military-political apparatus, even as prevailing commentary framed it as “Xi losing control of the military,” “factional infighting,” or “an imminent coup.”

Now, as Xinhua published in its 20 October 2025 editorial — just before the Fourth plenary session — emphasising “security first, war readiness as priority,” Zhao says this confirms what he warned two years ago: Xi Jinping’s purge was never about internal rivalry; it was a prewar mobilization.

Zhao spoke to The Sunday Guardian on the newly announced expulsion of nine senior officers, describing it as “a wartime reorganization disguised as discipline enforcement.”

The Sunday Guardian also contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry seeking its version on Zhao Lanjian’s remarks. A response was awaited till the time of publication.

Edited excerpts.

1.You first reported the arrests months before Beijing's confirmation. What does that delay reveal about how the CCP manages information during internal purges?

In my observation, the core of CCP information control is not simply censorship—it is rhythmic manipulation They control the exact timing of every disclosure. Through delay, selective editing, and staged release, they create an illusion of “order and control still intact.”