Xi Jinping has vanished from the military stage, and in his absence, something strange is unfolding. The PLA has started dusting off Mao Zedong’s old playbooks—a sudden leftward turn that has stunned observers. Is Xi still calling the shots? Or is this a sign that the ground beneath him is shifting? Behind this ideological revival stands a formidable princeling, the only top CCP figure with both military and civilian credentials. His quiet return and strategic maneuvering may prove deadly for Xi’s regime. The battle for China’s future may no longer be in Xi’s hands.
