If you judge by the actions of the Fourth Plenum, you’d have had reason to believe Chairman Xi staved off the challenge to his authority. After it was confirmed by Chinese state press that Ma Xingrui, one of Xi’s strongest lieutenants, has been detained by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), it appears he did not completely silence real dissent from within. The CCDI is controlled by military leadership.
The next target appears to be Cai Qi, the director of the Central Office, who hasn’t been seen or heard from in several weeks. Should Cai Qi not re-emerge, the move would be seen as the military seeking to assert more sovereignty apart from CCP leadership, which is the source of Xi’s power over the military at present.
CCP Under Siege: Zhang Youxia Personally Detains Xi Loyalist Cai Qi Vision Times
from news.google.com
Political shockwaves are once again rippling through Beijing as two of leader Xi Jinping’s most powerful lieutenants — men once seen as untouchable — are now rumored to be under direct scrutiny from China’s military investigators. According to reports, former Xinjiang Party Secretary Ma Xingrui has reportedly been taken away for a probe by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
Meanwhile, Politburo Standing Committee member and Central Office (Zhongban) Director Cai Qi (who hasn’t been seen in public for weeks) remains radio silent. Now, new reports allege that on Nov. 8, military discipline inspectors escorted him out of a Guangzhou hotel. The Politburo acts as China’s top ruling body.
Analysts believe the military is zeroing in on two of the most sensitive posts in the Party-state system: Cai Qi, director of the Central Office (who oversees the Central Guard Bureau), and Wang Xiaohong, China’s minister of public security — the two most important positions tied directly to physical control of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) top ranks.