The sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are currently underway.

As with all state affairs in China, the rumours circulating throughout Beijing and indeed the entire nation could set a world record – some true, others false, but most impossible to verify. In the realm of political intrigue, none can rival the Communist Party, whose masterful strategizing leaves the CIA trailing in its wake. They remain an enigma within another enigma, a mystery shrouded in riddles.

Attempting to discern precisely who is in favour and who has fallen from grace is futile. Despite Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli having been purged by Xi Jinping, the Two Sessions lists still include them as delegates. This indicates the military is awaiting the final verdict on their fate, and that waiting period is drawing to a close. Their fate remains unknown, yet whatever outcome unfolds portends ill for Xi Jinping. Had they been executed, why delay announcing their deaths? Xi likely fears that the military might stage a coup to overthrow him if the generals perished at the hands of his own security forces or police.

Xi Jinping, still in power, appears precariously vulnerable: his decision to sit alongside Party delegates at the opening ceremony of the Two Sessions signals his political fragility and uncertain future. Compounding this, Xi has ceased leaving Beijing, reportedly holed up in a reinforced bunker, exposing his palpable anxiety.

The reformist faction, led by Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao and Liu Yuan, appears to have lost its nerve. They have forgotten the iron law that hesitation leads to demise, a lapse that could prove fatal. The failure of both reformists and the princelings to strike decisively constitutes a grave error. Prioritizing the Party's survival above all else is tantamount to inviting Xi Jinping to execute another flanking manoeuvre. This time, opposing Xi may cost them their lives. The conservatives share equal blame—rumours suggest Zeng Qinghong is privately mediating the rift between Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping, effectively offering Xi a lifeline. Can Xi outmanoeuvre his opponents and consolidate power? Time will tell, but the brutal reality is that time is the enemy of the reformists. Xi will fight for survival at any cost—the stakes for him and his family are simply too high.

And what of Li Qiang? Has he begun distancing himself from Xi Jinping? If so, this would be a perilous game indeed. He would do well to remember the fate that befell Li Keqiang while swimming.