In a recent commentary published by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military newspaper, the emphasis was on “setting rules and sticking to them.” Notably, the article did not mention the important military institution of the “Chairman Responsibility System” or even the name of Xi Jinping. Political analysts pointed out that this move indicates the CCP military is taking a swipe at Xi Jinping.
On February 25, the CCP military newspaper, “PLA Daily,” published a commentary titled “Setting Rules and Sticking to Them,” discussing the need to seriously study the newly revised “Common Regulations” from three aspects.
Previously, the top CCP leader Xi Jinping signed orders to issue newly revised CCP military regulations on “Interior Regulations,” “Discipline Regulations,” and “Formation Regulations” (collectively known as the “Common Regulations”), which are set to be implemented starting from April 1, 2025.
The article in the military newspaper stated, “Establishing rules is one thing, but adhering to them is just as important. Once the rules are set, they must be implemented.” The entire article consisted of only four paragraphs, without mentioning the “Chairman Responsibility System,” and did not even mention Xi Jinping by name. It is worth noting that the article particularly emphasized in the conclusion: “Responsibility should be borne at the corresponding level, enjoy the corresponding rights, truly returning power to the grassroots.”
The “Chairman Responsibility System” is considered the core mechanism through which Xi Jinping controls military power. The CCP official previously emphasized that this system is crucial for the supreme leadership and command authority of the military, situated at the highest level in the “party commands the gun” system.
On February 26, overseas political analyst Chen Pokong told Epoch Times that the commentary article in the “PLA Daily” directly aimed at Xi Jinping. The wording in the conclusion part was actually targeting the “Chairman Responsibility System” and the military malpractices under Xi Jinping’s leadership for the past 12 years.
Chen Pokong stated that the released “Common Regulations” this time are not entirely new regulations but are revisions based on the version issued in April 2018. The 2018 version emphasized three key points – Xi Jinping’s Military Thinking, the Chairman Responsibility System, and Comprehensive Strict Governance of the Military. In the 2025 revised version, the “Chairman Responsibility System” was omitted, indicating that this significant system has been officially removed.
Chen Pokong’s analysis suggests that the removal of the “Chairman Responsibility System” could be due to three reasons. Firstly, it could be the consensus reached in the Third Plenum of the CCP that Xi Jinping’s power in the military has been weakened, and currently, Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia is overseeing the daily work of the Military Commission. Secondly, Xi Jinping might want to retain control but evade related responsibilities. The third possibility is that the CCP is paving the way for the next Chairman of the Military Commission by abolishing the Chairman Responsibility System in advance to prevent the successor from becoming a strong figure.
Regardless of the considerations behind it, Chen Pokong believes that the Chairman Responsibility System has been laid to rest. He pointed out that the current CCP military is transitioning towards a collective leadership model, with Zhang Youxia emerging as a leading figure. Therefore, the “PLA Daily” article’s emphasis on “implementing rules once they are set” is not only targeting Xi Jinping but also his close associates, implying that if not implemented, the future might truly implement “governing the military according to the law.”
Political commentator Tang Jingyuan also told Epoch Times in an interview that the released “Common Regulations” are revised based on the 2018 version. Comparing the two versions, the most significant change is the complete omission of the “Chairman Responsibility System” and a noticeable decrease in references to Xi Jinping himself. This phenomenon is not unprecedented. Since the Third Plenum of last year, the frequency of Xi Jinping’s appearance in the military newspaper has significantly decreased, showing a deliberate downplaying trend.
Tang Jingyuan explained that the “Chairman Responsibility System” is, in essence, Xi Jinping’s “sole rule” system within the military system, meaning the entire military is governed by Xi Jinping alone. It was seen as a monumental expression of Xi Jinping’s centralized authority and almost inevitably appeared in official reports and major propagandas. However, now this expression has gradually diminished and disappeared in official announcements and military media commentary articles. This change indicates a significant shift in Xi Jinping’s power within the military system.
The commentary article in the CCP military newspaper resonates with the recent Xinhua News Agency’s release of a bulletin. On February 21, Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi Jinping had signed orders to issue the newly revised “Common Regulations.”
Xinhua’s report mentioned “Xi’s thoughts” and “Xi Jinping’s Strong Military Thinking” but did not mention the “Chairman Responsibility System.” Instead, it emphasized “governing the military according to the law” and required the military to “listen to the Party and follow the Party.”
In comparison, in a bulletin released by Xinhua News Agency on April 15, 2018, when reporting Xi Jinping’s signing of the trial version of the “Common Regulations,” it clearly mentioned “Xi Jinping’s Strong Military Thinking,” emphasized upholding the Party’s absolute leadership over the military, and required the “comprehensive and strict governance of the military” under the “Chairman Responsibility System.”
Tang Jingyuan commented that the shift from the previous emphasis on “comprehensive and strict governance of the military” to the current “governing the military according to the law” contains certain political signals and implications in terms of wording.
According to the CCP Constitution, the highest command of the military is under the jurisdiction of the Central Military Commission. In the era of Xi Jinping’s “sole rule,” since the 19th National Congress of the CCP, the official fixed expression was that the highest leadership of the military belongs to the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, and it emphasized the implementation of the “Chairman Responsibility System” by the Central Military Commission. However, now the phrase “Chairman Responsibility System” has been removed, and the highest leadership of the military is only attributed to the “Central Committee and the Central Military Commission.” The term “Central Committee” is a vague concept. If Xi Jinping’s real power has been weakened, then the true wielder of power over the military lies with the one who controls the power of the “Central Committee.”
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun recently posted on social media platform that he learned from friends that Xi Jinping’s power has been significantly reduced since the Third Plenum of the CCP in July last year, and his abdication is only awaiting official announcement, which will not be long.
He also mentioned that Xi Jinping’s power is now in the hands of three political elders born in 1942, and military power is under the control of Zhang Youxia.
However, this information has yet to be confirmed.