From Execution Rumors to Decapitation Humor: Beijing’s Information War

Rumors exploded across Chinese social media claiming that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had died in detention. Beijing quickly pushed back — but the signals didn’t stop there. A nationwide “Delta Action” ad featuring decapitation imagery flooded major cities. Then Xinhua aired a carefully staged “bite the bun” video that many netizens read as dark political satire aimed at Xi Jinping. Coincidence? Or coded messaging in the middle of a high-level power struggle? In this episode, we break down the execution rumors, the symbolism, and the growing information war shaping China’s political atmosphere. What Really Happened Behind Zhongnanhai’s Closed Doors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rUYP2xLxhU Why a Ming Emperor’s Death Haunts China Today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6GQOFCHje4 Lei's Gift Guide: https://shop.leisrealtalk.com/gift-guide/ Get your Shen Yun tickets with promo code LRT2026 to save on service fees. Official ticket link 👉 https://www.shenyun.com/tickets Lei's Looking Glass channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LeisLookingGlass Lei's Real Talk channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LeisRealTalk Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-lei-s-real-talk-support-lei Support Lei’s work via her online shop: https://shop.leisrealtalk.com/ Sign up for my emails: https://leisrealtalk.com/ Ideas/Suggestions: [email protected] ****************** We discuss world economy, history, and politics. Our main focus is U.S.-China relations. We make short videos and tell you the hidden stories. ****************** References: ****************** 🔔 Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeisRealTalk​​​ ****************** 🔵 Make sure to share this video with your friends! Follow us on our Website: https://leisrealtalk.com/​​​​​​ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeisRealTalk​​​​​​​​ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leisrealtalk​​​ ****************** #leisrealtalk #xijinping #china