China's top military officer, very close to Xi Jinping, has reportedly been arrested

He Weidong, the top military officer of China and a point man of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been arrested, as reported by Zhao Lanjian, an independent journalist known for investigating and reporting on the actions of the opaque communist regime.

However, for the moment, the Chinese government has not confirmed an arrest that would undoubtedly mark a major restructuring in the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

According to Newsweek, He Weidong is vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the PLA's highest authority.

This important five-member body is headed by President Xi Jinping, and, according to the pecking order, He Weidong is second in command.

According to various profiles, He Weidong's rise in the Chinese military establishment is due to his close relationship with Xi Jinping, forged during Xi's tenure as governor of Fujian.

During those years, He Weidong positioned himself within the so-called "Fujian clan," a group of officials and military officers with close ties to the Chinese leader. He later consolidated his influence by taking command of the army's Eastern Theater Command, the unit responsible for operations around Taiwan, a territory whose sovereignty is claimed by Beijing and rejected by the US-backed Asian island itself.

In addition to Weidong's alleged arrest, Journalist Zheo also reported that the senior official's secretary is under investigation, speculating on the possibility of "leaks of classified information."

He also stated that Zhao Keshi, former minister of the General Logistics Department—the former agency in charge of logistics, supplies and military infrastructure—has also reportedly been detained.

Some experts in China assume that, if the detentions are confirmed, speculation about Xi Jinping's control over the Army as well as divisions and infighting deep within the PLA will increase.

For example, Victor Shih, director of the 21st Century China Center and holder of the Ho Miu Lam Chair at the Center for Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego, said: "This He Weidong rumor is quite incredible, and yes, if he falls, others will also. In the military at least, Xi will need to move beyond a factional model for control as [former Chinese Communist Party Chairman] Mao [Zedong] had to do."