Xi’s Parade Sparks Debate on General Zhang’s Protocol Status
Screenshot of Chinese State Media CCTV 13 and its live coverage of the September 3, 2025 parade on Tiananmen Square)! (Image video grab)
General Zhang Youxia’s placement beside Xi Jinping at the military parade has fueled debate among analysts—was it a symbolic elevation of military clout or just standard protocol?
By TRH Global Affairs Desk
NEW DELHI, September 8, 2025 — China’s meticulously choreographed military parades are designed to project seamless unity, power, and continuity. But even within the rigid stagecraft of the Communist Party, small anomalies can reveal bigger stories. That, at least, is what drew the attention of Frank Lehberger, an analyst of Chinese politics, who flagged what he sees as a hidden protocol shift in the grand parade staged under Xi Jinping’s watch.
The moment in question: General Zhang Youxia, China’s top uniformed officer and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was spotted standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xi and other top-ranking dignitaries of “Full-State Rank.” Traditionally, Zhang, like other senior military leaders, belongs to the “Vice-State Rank,” a step lower in the political hierarchy. In China’s opaque system, where state rank determines power and privilege, such elevation—even symbolic—matters.
Lehberger described the unusual placement as “a form of aristocratic distinction,” akin to giving a general the seat of a duke among monarchs. His observation sparked debate.
Drew Holliday, a China watcher, countered that Zhang’s position was in line with the military grading system: the CMC vice chair has always been a Grade 1 role, directly beneath Xi’s Grade 0. No anomaly, just protocol.
Yet Frank Miller, a US Army veteran, added another layer in a post on LinkedIn: the distinction between the CCP’s Party Grade system and the PLA’s Military Grade system. “Zhang’s presence among current and former Party leaders shouldn’t be read as a promotion in state rank,” Miller argued. He further stated that “it was simply recognition that he is the highest uniformed officer at a military-focused event.”
Still, the optics matter. In an era where Xi has tied his political legitimacy to military modernization and “preparation for struggle,” even the perception of military elevation resonates. To some, Zhang’s satisfied expression captured more than just ceremonial honour—it reflected the tightening bond between Party and gun.
Whether an anomaly or an ordinary protocol, the debate underscores how every gesture in Beijing’s political theatre carries weight. In a system where power is coded in symbols as much as titles, Zhang’s place in the parade reminds us that watching China means reading not just the speeches, but also the seating charts.
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