Analysis: Military purges put Xi Jinping's singer-wife in the spotlight

 As Chinese supreme leader Xi Jinping deals with “complicated challenges” presented by his top military brass, he is likely leaning more on a longtime aide, his wife, Peng Liyuan.

Two developments point to this. The first involves the expulsion of two former defense ministers from the Chinese Communist Party and the appointment of a new defense chief. The dismissals of Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu had long been anticipated; both disappeared from the public eye last year.

When Xi assumed his roles as China’s president and the party’s general secretary 12 years ago, Wei became a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top organ supervising the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Wei served two five-year terms, while Li, who succeeded Wei as defense minister in 2023, was also a CMC member.

Wei’s and Li’s expulsions are part of a series of purges by Xi targeting the military. However, unlike previous purges, these men were personally chosen by Xi, reflecting his ongoing struggle to control the military despite consolidating power over the last decade.

Xi has expressed concerns about the military’s political loyalty. Speaking at the CMC Political Work Conference in Yan’an, an old revolutionary base, Xi emphasized the military’s loyalty, pointing to “complicated challenges” in its political work.

The second development highlighting Peng’s advisory role involves her recent prominence in state-run media. In an unusual move, Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised “first lady diplomacy” in May during Xi’s European tour. China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Peng accompanied Xi to more than 20 events during the tour, enhancing China’s soft power.

Peng’s profile received a further boost from a report in Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily, suggesting she had become a member of the CMC’s examination and evaluation commission. A photo circulating on social media purportedly shows Peng in military uniform inspecting a military educational institution, sparking speculation that she is now in a position to influence military personnel affairs.

Some recent personnel changes align with this view. Dong Jun, who replaced disgraced former Defense Minister Li, is the first former navy officer to assume the defense portfolio. Speculation suggests that Dong, a native of Shandong province like Peng, is among those close to her.

The PLA Army has traditionally been more powerful than other branches. However, as part of his efforts to build a military for a new era, Xi has emphasized the Rocket Force, promoting Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, who were connected to it, to defense ministers. However, many associated with the Rocket Force have been found corrupt and disloyal to Xi, leading to their downfall.

The appointment of Dong, a navy man, has caused unrest, despite the navy’s critical role in China’s Taiwan strategy. There is resistance to this unprecedented personnel change at the top of the military hierarchy.The speculation is that Xi, when forcing through key military personnel changes, relies on his wife to choose figures he can trust in terms of loyalty. This has led to concerns within the party about Peng’s influence in politics.

Peng has played a significant behind-the-scenes role in Xi’s rise to power. Her contributions date back to the early 2000s when Xi was the top official in Zhejiang province. During that time, Jiang Zemin, Xi’s predecessor, was still China’s de facto supreme leader. A chance meeting at a banquet, facilitated by Peng, led to a connection between Xi and Jiang, which played a crucial role in Xi’s ascension to China’s top leadership in 2012.

Peng has also contributed to Xi’s diplomacy, particularly toward Japan. In November 2009, she was in Japan for a series of Chinese opera performances. At the end of the performance, Peng sang a duet with a Japanese singer, an event attended secretly by Emperor Naruhito, then the crown prince. This marked Peng’s last overseas singing performance.

A month later, in December 2009, Xi visited Japan and had an audience with then-Emperor Akihito. The meeting, arranged at the last minute, was seen as a great success in China and further boosted Xi’s standing.

Now, attention is back on Peng, the singer-turned-first lady and active-duty military officer whom Xi trusts explicitly. After abandoning the two former defense ministers he had chosen, Xi is now busy preparing for the third plenum, an event closely watched by the international community. This meeting, traditionally focused on China’s major economic policies, might now also signal a renewed emphasis on loyalty to Xi, the all-powerful leader at the helm of the party, military, and state.