中国军队No. 2何卫东真的出事了？A look into Xi’s inner circle

自从3月11日出席中国全国两会闭幕式以后，中共军队的二号人物、中央军委副主席何卫东就没有再公开露面。何卫东没有出现在3月14日的《反分裂国家法》实施20周年座谈会上，也没有参加4月2日在北京通州举行的义务植树活动，更没有现身4月8日的中央周边工作会议。

在这场会议上，中共政治局委员几乎全员出席，除了何卫东。这是不是等于对外证实了何卫东已经出事？他犯了什么问题？

就在这个月初，中共高层也出现了一次罕见的人事异动：中共中央统战部部长石泰峰与中共中央组织部部长李干杰对调了职务。这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红与台湾国立政治大学政治系教授寇健文聊中国高层在短期内出现罕见的人事异动，这里头有什么蹊跷？

延伸阅读：

• 中共高层出现罕见人事调整 中组部统战部对调一把手
• 【东谈西论】解放军高层落马 传言不断

The sudden disappearance of General He Weidong, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, has sparked intense speculation about potential power struggles within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  He Weidong, considered the second-most powerful figure in the Chinese military, has been absent from public view since the closing of the National People's Congress on March 11. His absence from key events, including the 20th anniversary of the Anti-Secession Law, has fuelled rumours of his potential downfall.

Adding to the intrigue is a recent, unexpected reshuffling within the CCP Politburo. Shi Taifeng, former head of the United Front Work Department, and Li Ganjie, former head of the Organisation Department, have swapped positions. This abrupt shift in such crucial roles has further intensified speculation about internal political dynamics. 

While some analysts suggest a potential purge within the military, others posit that the reshuffle could be related to broader policy shifts or simply routine personnel changes. The lack of official explanation from Beijing only adds to the mystery surrounding these events.

These developments raise critical questions about the stability of the CCP leadership and the direction of China's political and military trajectory. Is this a sign of Xi Jinping consolidating power, or is there something more at play?

This episode of Global Heartbeat podcast invites Professor Chien-Wen Kou from the Department of Political Science, Taiwan’s National Chengchi University to provide insightful analysis on these recent events and their implications.

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor, Han Yong Hong, Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

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