Beijing/New Delhi: President Xi Jinping vanished from public view for 16 days. No appearances, no statements, no images in state-run newspapers and no reports from official channels. From May 21 to June 5, 2025, China’s most powerful man simply disappeared.
It was not just the silence. It was the timing.
The country’s economy has been floundering. Key sectors are gasping. Internal party fractures are deepening. And inside the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a storm seems to be building.
During Xi’s absence, Premier Li Qiang and Vice Premier He Lifeng quietly took the stage. They met foreign delegations and attended ceremonies. Behind closed doors, party factions were in motion. Some say it was not only routine management but a damage control.
Xi is not the first to go missing. Before being sacked, China’s former Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappeared without explanation. Same with former Defence Minister Li Shangfu. No announcements, just silence followed by removal.
And now, fresh firings have reignited the fear.
On July 4, 2025, the Chinese government removed three senior military officials from their positions. The list included General Miao Hua, Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Li Hanjun and Liu Shipeng, a top nuclear engineer. Official reason – corruption.
But many observers are not buying it.
The narrative on paper says graft. But inside Beijing’s political circles, another word that keeps surfacing is mutiny. The removals, some believe, were a pre-emptive strike. A show of force by Xi and a warning to those thinking of defiance.
It has not helped calm the nerves.
Back on June 6, more than 50 ministers and senior officials took oath under the State Council. The event was grand. The hall was full. But one chair remained empty – Xi Jinping’s. For many in China’s political class, that absence was louder than any speech.
In recent months, trust inside China’s ruling structure has thinned. Power appears more concentrated, yet more vulnerable. Long seen as Xi’s iron shield, the military is starting to crack.
Talks of internal dissent are growing. Some say loyalty inside the the PLA is not what it used to be. And Xi’s silence during important moments only fuels the suspicion.
Add to that the broader context – an unstable economy, growing public discontent and Beijing’s foreign entanglements. The perfect storm is no longer far-fetched.
A coup? Not yet. But cracks in the great wall of Xi’s power are starting to show. And in China, silence is never empty.
