Potential successors without real PLA connections (like Hua Guofeng, Zhao Ziyang, and Hu Yaobang historically) failed to stick; because Xi is preventing any party figure from developing those military connections, it will be very hard for any future successor to consolidate.

causalpending

Speaker

Jordan

Evidence Quote

there is going to be some party person who is going to have that connection and the fact that he is just not letting that develop at all, um, is going to make it really hard for whoever else shows up to stick.

Source

Xi's PLA PURGES Explained by Top CIA AnalystChinaTalk
Created: 6/18/2026, 1:57:49 PM

My Notes

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