Qincheng Prison

Execution is, too, and so leaders these days go for the Goldilocks outcome, sending officials to prison.

It's widely believed Zhang Youxia has been sent to Qincheng in Beijing's suburbs, a famous luxury prison, along with other top officials.

When I was reporting from inside China, I discovered that VIP Communist Party prisoners get unusual perks like an extra apple and a glass of milk at breakfast, carpets in their cells that are more like apartments with televisions.

So that's what happens to the officials who've been purged.

He is the emperor, and this is his empire.

Whether Madame X has the whole story or not, it's clear that Xi's empire might not be shaping up the way he intended.

As some have joked, there are now more senior military officials inside the luxury Qincheng Prison than serving at the top of the Chinese military.

Xi seems to be following the patterns, the survival guide of strongman leaders before him, using the same logic with the same brutal outcomes.

And so leaders these days go for the Goldilocks outcome, sending officials to prison.

It's widely believed Jiang Youxia has been sent to Qincheng in Beijing's suburbs, a famous luxury prison, along with other top officials.

When I was reporting from inside China, I discovered that VIP Communist Party prisoners get unusual perks like an extra apple and a glass of milk at breakfast.

Carpets in their cells that are more like apartments with televisions.

He is the emperor and this is his empire.

Whether Madame X has the whole story or not, it's clear that Xi's empire might not be shaping up the way he intended.

As some have joked, there are now more senior military officials inside the luxury Qincheng prison than serving at the top of the Chinese military.

Xi seems to be following the patterns, the survival guide of strongman leaders before him, using the same logic with the same brutal outcomes.