The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary, Xi Jinping is facing backlash from a new enemy. For a change, this new enemy is not located within India. Amidst the global backlash against growing Chinese belligerence, the CCP’s armed wing- the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) seems to have turned against the CCP itself.
According to a latest WION report, the CCP General Secretary is facing opposition from two PLA hawks- retired Major General Qiao Liang and a serving PLA Air Force Senior Colonel Dai Xu.
Qiao is a well-known name, and is the author of a book called “Unrestricted Warfare”, in which he had laid down a game-plan for making China a superpower. Interestingly, he had suggested exporting a virus to create a Pandemic. But his latest message to Xi Jinping warns sternly against any plans to take Taiwan by force.
In an interview, the retired PLA Major General said, “China’s ultimate goal is not the reunification of Taiwan, but to achieve the dream of national rejuvenation so that all 1.4 billion Chinese can have a good life. Could it be achieved by taking Taiwan back? Of course, not.”
Qiao has cited logistical reasons while warning against an aggressive move in Taiwan. He said, “If Beijing wants to take Taiwan back by force, it will need to mobilise all its resources and power to do this…You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s too costly.” Qiao understands PLA’s limited capabilities due to engagement on multiple fronts, which is why he is warning against a move on Taiwan.
The retired Chinese Major General feels that the Dragon’s maritime routes at the South China Sea could get blocked, in a likely reference to the Strait of Malacca. He has also warned that an aggressive move in Taiwan could prompt the US to declare war on China and Qiao has also stated that Western sanctions would hurt China’s economic development.
Dai Xu seems even more critical about the CCP. He wrote an article titled, “2020, Four Unexpected Things and Ten New Understandings About the United States.” Xu has given a brutal reality check to the CCP about the American ability to inflict costs on China. Xu said, “The US would be so tough, imposing stacked tariff increases of 30 billion, 50 billion and then 200 billion.”
He added, “Remember: the 30 billion in tariffs imposed on you will bring an effect of 60 billion, 90 billion, or more. This is where Imperial America is truly powerful. We must be rational instead of angry, and fight wisely.”
The PLA officer also feels that China has no friends left within the US. Xu wrote, “It turns out that no one in the US congress speaks out on behalf of China; the two parties of the US are surprisingly unanimous on a major trade policy, which really hurts all Chinese people.”
Within the PLA, it is being understood that China has no friends left in the world due to CCP’s hawkish attitude. Xu also echoes the same sentiment when he says, “China has provided assistance to so many countries, benefiting them in so many ways, but at this critical moment, none of them has taken any unified action with China.”
The anger within the PLA is not very surprising. The top brass of the PLA has many reasons to be angry with the CCP. Top Chinese companies like Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, Xindia Steels Limited, Xinxing Cathay International Group, Chinese Electronics Technology Group Corporation, and SAIC Motor Corporation Limited have PLA links. Top Chinese Generals enjoy a lot of influence over these companies.
But today, Xi Jinping’s wolf-warrior diplomacy has invited outrage against all these companies. The US is making all attempts to push Huawei out of the world map. Similarly, the seven Chinese companies mentioned earlier are on the radar of the Modi government for further action.
PLA Generals are therefore furious about Xi Jinping’s ongoing wars with the diplomatic world. PLA understands that these companies are losing out, not because of PLA links but because Xi Jinping’s CCP is engaging countries like India, the US and Australia in endless battles.
Moreover, the Galwan Valley bloodbath on June 15 this year was bound to trigger an outrage within the Chinese PLA sooner or later. Xi Jinping’s Himalayan blunder got far too many PLA troops slaughtered in the Galwan Valley area. Within China, the PLA casualty figures were not released, nor were the dead given any military honours/ memorial service. This has driven the PLA further away from the CCP.
After the Galwan Valley bloodshed, Jianli Yang, a Chinese dissident and the son of a former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader wrote, “Retired and hurt PLA veterans could become a force against the Chinese Communist Party regime”. He added, “the CCP leadership cannot afford to undermine the veterans’ potential to launch a collective and “armed” anti-regime action.”
There are other issues involved with PLA too. The veterans are deprived of pensions, jobs and other benefits. Mysterious deaths of PLA veterans protesting against such issues is said to be a regular feature in China. And then, of course, there are sociological issues involved with the PLA.
The brutal one-child policy of China has given rise to a sub-standard military force. The Chinese families, including those of PLA officers/troopers are very emotional about their child, since there’s only one. Within the PLA families, there is a lot of resentment about Xi Jinping and CCP’s expansionist push.
The PLA families are not ready to sacrifice their children at the altar of CCP’s hunger for territory of other countries. The same sentiments are getting reflected in the remarks of Qiao Liang and Dia Xu. The PLA hates the CCP and there are growing signs of mutiny from the armed wing of the Chinese Communist party.
