Insider: Trusted Aide Dies Mysteriously in Prison, Zhao Yueshi in Danger

The absence of Chinese People’s Congress Chairman Zhao Leji at the two sessions has sparked public attention. Recently, individuals familiar with the political scene in Qinghai revealed that there is a high possibility of Zhao Leji being in trouble, as his close confidant and former Vice Governor of Qinghai, Luo Yulin, died suddenly in prison over a week ago.

According to a post by Wang Anna (legal name Wang Ruiqin), the founder of “Guang Media,” on March 12, she stated that “From what I know, there is a high possibility of Zhao Leji being in trouble. The latest news is that his close confidant, former Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, former member of the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee, Vice Governor, and Mayor of Xining, Luo Yulin, died suddenly in prison over a week ago. This is a very unusual event.”

Wang Anna, a former member of the Qinghai Political Consultative Conference, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, founded Qinghai Donghu Guest House Tourism Co., Ltd in 1997. She fled to the United States in 2018 and established Guang Media. She revealed that “Zhao (Leji) has been our mayor, party committee secretary, governor, and provincial party committee secretary from the beginning. The construction of our Donghu Guest House was a project promoted during his administration.”

Luo Yulin served in various positions in Qinghai Province for a long time, including Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Finance Department, Director of the Provincial Economic and Trade Commission, Vice Governor of Qinghai Province and Deputy Secretary of the Xining Municipal Party Committee, Mayor, Director of the Provincial Government Assets Commission, and Party Secretary. Luo Yulin was ousted in May 2023 and was claimed to be a trusted confidant of Zhao Leji.

In her post, Wang Anna detailed the arrest of Zhao Leji’s former associates, with Luo Yulin at the forefront. She mentioned that after Luo Yulin’s fall, she disclosed on Guang Media that Luo Yulin was one of the few people Zhao Leji trusted, and their close relationship was well-known in the circle.

At that time, Wang Anna stated that hundreds of individuals had been summoned by the Beijing Disciplinary Inspection Commission and around a hundred in Qinghai due to the Luo Yulin case, leading to widespread anxiety in the political arena, with many believing it was targeting Zhao Leji.

Former Xinjiang Deputy Secretary Li Pengxin, who was also a former member of the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, fell from grace in 2023. Wang Anna previously posted on the platform suggesting that Li Pengxin and Luo Yulin were Zhao Leji’s former subordinates, deeply rooted in the Qinghai political scene for over thirty years, understanding each other well. Li Pengxin’s arrest was seen as a part of the siege against Zhao Leji, with efforts to cleanse Zhao still ongoing.

According to Wang Anna’s analysis, Zhao Leji has connections to both Northwestern “gangs” and the Jiang faction. The relationship between Zhao and Xi Jinping is more related to geography and historical ties rather than being in the same faction. Zhao’s ascent and promotion occurred during the Jiang and Hu era, primarily being promoted by the Jiang faction led by Zeng Qinghong. Currently, Xi Jinping is using new tools to weed out Zhao Leji to maintain his authoritarian regime with Wang Qishan clearing out the old guard and now targeting Zhao Leji, potentially putting Zhao in a precarious position.

Zhao Leji, as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the National People’s Congress, was recently absent from crucial meetings at the two sessions and was announced on March 11 to be on leave due to a “respiratory infection.” After triggering various speculations, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on March 12 that Zhao Leji visited party media reporters covering the conference in Beijing that afternoon, seeming to dispel rumors.

Independent commentator Cai Shenkun mentioned in his social media program on the 13th that Zhao’s public appearance was likely in response to rumors of his serious illness. However, it appears that Zhao is not actually ill, raising questions about why he did not preside over the closing ceremony of the two sessions. Zhao quickly made an appearance, possibly due to pressure from international public opinion or internal party discussions. Regardless, speculation about Zhao Leji’s future political trajectory will likely persist, with uncertainties looming despite his recent public appearance.

Cai Shenkun previously noted that in recent years, Zhao Leji’s close associates have fallen from grace one after another. His absence at the two sessions indicates an escalation of power struggles within the top echelons of the Chinese Communist Party.