Liu was born in 1952 in
Fenghua,
Ningbo,
Zhejiang. Liu Yazhou has been described as a "
princeling": his father was a senior military officer and his father-in-law was
Li Xiannian, one of the
Chinese Communist Party's
Eight Immortals and
president of China in the era of
Deng Xiaoping. This privileged political pedigree has given him a greater platform for his views and opinions. His writings "have dazzled as well as upset his readers; supporters praise his boldness and insight, and detractors condemn his alleged militarism and demagoguery." At the same time, his prolific writing may have partly contributed to his rise through the ranks. He leans on the sayings of former Chinese leaders to make indirect criticisms of Chinese Communist Party policies. Unlike many PLA officials, Liu has traveled much overseas, including serving as a visiting professor at
Stanford University. News of Liu's sudden disappearance in 2021 until March 24, 2023, when the Hong Kong media Ming Pao reported that Liu might be given a heavier sentence of "death penalty with a two-year reprieve" (death sentence with reprieve) by the authorities due to his involvement in a serious corruption case. According to Ming Pao Daily News, Liu Yazhou is suspected of amassing huge wealth on behalf of foundations and associations and committing a serious corruption case, and may be given a heavy sentence of "death penalty with a two-year reprieve" by the authorities, and it is reported that Liu Yazhou is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison. Ming Pao also quoted a source as saying that Liu's wife, Li Xiaolin, daughter of former President Li Xiannian, was "safe and unaffected". China's "Red Culture Website" 红色文化 published a series of articles signed with the pseudonym "He Lanfeng", criticizing Liu Yazhou for advocating Western civilization's concepts of universal values such as "humanity, human rights, human nature, democracy, and freedom", and for being "a typical ambitious and conspiratorial person." On 13 April 2023, Sing Tao Daily reported that the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Central Military Commission (CMCDI) had completed its investigation into Liu Yazhou around the Spring Festival of 2023, and that Liu Yazhou had been double-expelled and also transferred to the military's judicial system for processing. At the same time, the Chinese military issued a notice in late February 2023 requiring the removal of "Liu Yazhou's harmful information" in March, and requesting all units to remove books, newspapers, periodicals, articles, inscriptions, speeches, etc. involving Liu Yazhou by way of self-checking against the "Statistical Table of Liu-Related Information".[9] The Chinese military also issued a notice in late February 2023 requiring the removal of "Liu Yazhou's harmful information" in March. == Comments on democracy and reform ==