The Communications Clique (Chinese: 交通系; pinyin: Jiāotōngxì) was a powerful interest group of politicians, bureaucrats, technocrats, businessmen, engineers, and labour unionists in China's Beiyang government (1912–1928).
Because they were Yuan's biggest supporters of his attempt to restore the monarchy, their leaders were forced to flee the country when President Li Yuanhong ordered their arrest.
President Feng Guozhang vacated these arrest warrants in early 1918, allowing Liang and Zhou Ziqi to return.
Cao Rulin's conduct during the 1919 Paris Peace Conference caused the May Fourth Movement which led to his downfall and the collapse of this rival "new" clique.
He responded violently leading to 35 deaths and many injuries which only served to advertise the little-known and nascent Communist Party.