What Does The Reappearance of Li Ruihuan Represent?

Li Ruihuan, a long-term inactive politician
has appeared in public on October 7.
Li was former Chairman of the People's Political Consultative
Conference of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Li's reappearance has ignited
public speculation and analyses.
Some view this as supporting Hu Jintao
and striking out against Jiang Zemin.
Some others say that it implies that earlier coverage
about Jiang Zemin resurfacing was not true.

Li Ruihuan appeated at the 2012 China Open tennis final.

Li was accompanied by Guo Jinlong, Beijing's
Party Chief, and acting Mayor Wang Anshun.
CCP state media China News Service reported the news.

On Oct.8, the People's Daily also reported that
Li Ruihuan wrote an inscription on Oct. 5,
for the 50th anniversary of the re-established
Philosophy College in Nankai University.

Political analysts speculate that CCP heavyweights
recent public appearances aim to stabilize morale.
Observers think that different CCP factions
show up to display their own "political influence" ahead of the 18th Party Congress.

Hong Kong media quoted Beijing sources.

Sources state that early this year, Li Ruihuan
suggested that Hu Jintao should redress June 4th.
Hong Kong's Outpost magazine reported that Qiaoshi
and Li Ruihuan had unusually voiced support of Hu Jintao's personnel appointments for the 18th Party Congress.

Li Ruihuan retired at the age of 68, two years before
the usual retirement age for CCP Politburo members.
Reportedly, Li's early retirement had
particularly embarrassed Jiang Zemin.
Jiang remained as the head of the Central
Military Commission for another two years.

Critic Xia Xiaoqiang comments
on the CCP veteran public appearance.
It is not just showing their political influence, but
more importantly, they are expressing their support for Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao and Xi Jinping.

Xia Xiaoqiang: "Especially in the current political climate,
and on the eve of the 18th Party Congress, Hu Jintao,
Wen Jiabao and Xi Jinping have jointly purged Bo Xilai
and aimed directly at Zhou Yongkang and Jiang Zemin.
Jiang's clique is facing a nearing criminal
punishment, and using its gang to stir up trouble.
Li Ruihuan's high profile public presence indicates that
the side of Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao and Xi Jinping have won.”

Rumors said that on September 22, Jiang Zemin
and his wife watched a music drama written by Li Lanqing.
The micro-blog post attached the photos of them
watching the drama at the National Theatre.
Other news about Jiang Zemin followed April's rumors,
which alleged that Jiang met with the CEO of Starbucks.

Cyber writer Wu Jianguo remarks that both
news were not reported by the media.
Plus, many flaws have been found with the released photos.

Wu Jianguo: "It's clear that Jiang's men
want to use him to stabilize the faction.
Now their past followers are very likely to have
sought shelter with Hu Jintao or Xi Jinping.
To attain self-preservation, they might even
expose crimes committed by Jiang's faction.
In this context, Jiang's men came up
with this foolish counterfeiting of news.”

Xia Xiaoqiang says that this false news proves that
the news appearance at the National Theatre is untrue.
But it also leaked the true situation of the Jiang faction.

Xia Xiaoqiang: "Beijing sources said that by faking
Jiang's resurfacing, Zeng Qinghong, Li Changchun
and others, pretended to show the Blood-Debt
Faction still has political strength.
This faction dominates those who have
perpetrated the persecution of Falun Gong.
This false news aimed to deceive all levels of CCP officials
to uphold Zhou Yongkang's power before the 18th Congress.
They used Jiang's image to “stabilize morale” in the faction.

It was to misguide the public that Jiang
is still active and influential in China's politics.”

Xia Xiaoqiang thinks that the Blood-Debt Faction, headed by
Bo Xilai and Zhou Yongkang, are facing an overall collapse.
The faction, and its involvement in harvesting organs of living
Falun Gong practitioners and trafficking their bodies,
has been the focus of governments and media globally.

Bo Xilai's backstage bosses, Jiang Zemin
and Zeng Qinghong, will also be brought to justice

Xia Xiaoqiang adds that Li Ruihuan's public appearance
amounts to proving Jiang Zemin's appearance was untrue.
Jiang's remaining forces were actually seeking
self-protection by creating false news about Jiang. This was a helpless reaction.