Just a guess why he chose that.
Axl said the song was inspired by a movie about a famous Chinese person who was trying to bring about political change in China. People helped the guy escape and as he turned to wave good bye to them, he knew they would all be killed for helping him escape. So basically, Axl is trying to change GNR with CD. He knows the replacements musicians are going to figuratively get killed for not being Slash and everybody else. He knows the music is going to be highly criticized for not being like the old music. And he knows he is going into asylum.
Something like that. It's not all clear in the mind but it's a connection.
it is also notorious to see that Axl went back to the fashion and style of the original GNR line up, since it was the most succesful encarnation of the band.