A Scene from a CCP Meeting: The Chairperson on Stage Speaks in a Droning Buzz, Perfect for Helping Me Fall Asleep. (Guang Niu/Getty Images)
[People News] According to mainland media reports, between November 11 and 17, several senior officials in China assumed new roles. These include deputy ministerial-level officials in five provinces and municipalities—Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shanxi, and Gansu—as well as personnel from the State Council, the Central Foreign Affairs Office, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, China Investment Corporation, and the State Grid Corporation. Who are these individuals, and what are their backgrounds?
Among the newly appointed high-ranking officials in five provinces (and municipalities), the most notable is Wu Wei, the new member of the Shanghai Municipal Party Standing Committee. Since the position of Shanghai Executive Vice Mayor has been vacant for a year and is highly significant, Wu Wei's appointment strongly indicates that he will take up this role. Wu Wei's previous connections with Chinese Premier Li Qiang suggest that Li Qiang may have been instrumental in his promotion.
Li Yaoguang, newly appointed as a member of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Standing Committee, is a Beijing native. He has held positions such as Deputy Director of the Organization Division and Deputy Director of the Cadre Division in the Beijing Municipal Party Committee Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Director of its Office, Political Commissar of the Shunyi Branch of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, and Director of the Tongzhou Branch of the Beijing Public Security Bureau. Later, he served as Secretary and Director of the Jiangsu Public Security Department and Deputy Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission. Li Yaoguang was once a subordinate of Wang Xiaohong, the current Secretary of the CCP Secretariat and Minister of Public Security.
In June 2017, Wang Xiaohong, then the Director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, promoted six mid-level police officers to deputy bureau-level positions within the Beijing Public Security Bureau, with Li Yaoguang being one of them. His subsequent career advancements were largely due to Wang Xiaohong's support.
Notably, recent public appearances by Li Qiang and Wang Xiaohong have shown less overt loyalty to Xi Jinping, unlike in the past. This suggests a possible distancing from Xi, raising the possibility that those they are recommending for promotion may not necessarily be loyal to Xi either.
Zhang Guozhi, newly appointed to the Guangdong Provincial Party Standing Committee, has long worked in Chongqing, serving as Vice Mayor of Chongqing in 2023. His transfer to Guangdong does not seem to indicate that he is part of Xi Jinping's faction.
Li Jinke, the new member of the Shanxi Provincial Party Standing Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, has spent most of his career in Liaoning Province, holding positions such as Deputy Minister of the Liaoning Provincial United Front Work Department, Party Secretary of the Provincial Federation of Industry and Commerce, Deputy Secretary-General of the Liaoning Provincial Government, and Director and Secretary-General of the General Office. In January 2018, he was promoted to Vice Governor of Liaoning while continuing to serve as Secretary-General for 11 months. In July 2019, Li Jinke became the Minister of Propaganda in Ningxia. During his tenure as Deputy Secretary-General, Office Director, and Secretary-General, one of the governors he worked under was Li Xi, the current Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Li Xi, who was personally promoted and trusted by Xi Jinping, continues to publicly demonstrate loyalty to Xi. However, such expressions of loyalty have notably been overlooked by Xinhua News Agency.
Additionally, Zhang Shaohua, newly promoted as a member of the Shanxi Provincial Government Party Leadership Group, is also the Secretary and Director of the Shanxi Public Security Bureau. Zhang had a long career in Shandong Province before being appointed in October 2012 to roles in the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, including Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Management Office, Deputy Director (Acting Head) of the Comprehensive Management Secretariat, and Deputy Director of the Political Security Bureau. In May 2019, he became the Director of the Political Security Bureau. By March 2024, he assumed the role of Director of the Shanxi Public Security Bureau. During his time at the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the role of Secretary was successively held by Meng Jianzhu, Guo Shengkun, and Chen Wenqing. This suggests that Zhang is more likely aligned with the Jiang faction figures Meng and Guo.
As for Wang Bing, the newly appointed member of the Gansu Provincial Government Party Leadership Group, he earned an MBA from City University of London in 2007 and had a long career with the Bank of China. He served as Assistant to the General Manager of the Jiangsu Branch, General Manager of the Jiangsu Branch, and Vice President of BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Ltd. and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Ltd. Starting in March 2023, Wang Bing served as Vice President of China Construction Bank (CCB), and in May 2024, he took on the additional role of Secretary to CCB’s Board of Directors until his new appointment in Gansu.
Given his career trajectory, it is unlikely Wang Bing would have risen to such heights without backing from influential figures. The Bank of China and Construction Bank have ties to former Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) Secretary Wang Qishan. However, Wang Bing's placement in Gansu, despite his financial background, raises questions about the underlying political maneuvering.
Beyond the new appointments of deputy ministerial-level officials in five provinces, the State Council also announced the dismissal of Zhong Haidong as Deputy Director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, replacing him with Hu Zhangliang. Zhong Haidong, 60, held the deputy director role for only two years. Before this, as a graduate of Tsinghua University, he worked in the Organization Department of the CCP Central Committee, serving as an inspector and deputy bureau chief. He was previously a subordinate of Chen Xi, a trusted ally of Xi Jinping, who served as Deputy Minister and later Minister of the Organization Department and is now the President of the Central Party School. Zhong’s promotion under Chen is unsurprising, but his removal without further reassignment might reflect the weakening of Xi's political influence.
Hu Zhangliang, Zhong’s successor, is 51 years old and spent much of his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2016, he served as Deputy Director-General of the African Affairs Department, became Ambassador to Sierra Leone in 2019, and Director-General of the Administrative Department in 2022 before his latest appointment. His background appears less politically significant.
One of the most notable appointments in this round is Qi Bin’s promotion as Deputy Director of the CCP Liaison Office in Hong Kong. Qi, 56, is a graduate of the University of Chicago. Since 2000, he has held positions in the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), including as a member of its Strategic Development Committee, Deputy Director of the Fund Supervision Department, and Director of its Research Center, Innovation Business Supervision Department, and International Cooperation Department. In August 2016, Qi became Vice President of China Investment Corporation (CIC), which holds 100% equity in Central Huijin Investment Ltd., which in turn owns a 43% stake in China International Capital Corporation (CICC). These financial entities have connections to former Premier Zhu Rongji, his son Zhu Yunlai, and Wang Qishan, indicating strong ties to influential figures within the financial and political spheres.
Another notable appointment is that of Li Kexin as Deputy Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Office, serving as the deputy to Wang Yi, the Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office. Li Kexin, 55, studied at Beijing International Studies University and the London School of Economics, earning a doctorate in economics.
In August 1991, Li began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ International Department, serving in roles from staff member to Third Secretary. During this period, he worked with Cui Tiankai, the former Chinese ambassador to the United States. From March 2004 to March 2006, Li served temporarily as Vice Governor of Qiannan Autonomous Prefecture and Vice Mayor of Duyun City in Guizhou Province. Afterward, he became a counselor at China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. In July 2010, he returned to China to serve as Deputy Director-General of the International Department, and in October 2012, he was appointed Deputy Director-General of the newly established International Economic Department. In 2015, he became Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., and in early 2018, he succeeded Wu Xi as Deputy Chief of Mission, again working closely with the then-ambassador.
In June 2021, Cui Tiankai retired, and Li Kexin returned to China to serve as Director-General of the International Economic Department. Around the same time, the now-reportedly deceased Qin Gang succeeded Cui as ambassador to the U.S. Cui, known for his strong ties to the Jiang faction, was not trusted by Xi Jinping. Li Kexin’s recent promotion raises questions about who is supporting his advancement.
Other notable appointments include Pan Xiaodong, who now serves as a member of the Ministry of Science and Technology Party Leadership Group and Director of its General Office. Pan previously served for nearly a decade as Deputy Head of the CCDI’s disciplinary inspection team in the Ministry of Science and Technology and was Director of the General Office for two years. Chen Jie, newly appointed as Party Secretary of Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), previously served as Vice President of Beijing Institute of Technology, President of Tongji University, and Deputy Minister of Education. This move follows the October 2023 transfer of Xiong Sihao, the former HIT Party Secretary, to the Ministry of Education as Deputy Minister, suggesting a possible demotion for Chen Jie.
According to the official WeChat account of China Investment Corporation (CIC), Zhang Qingsong has been appointed Party Secretary of CIC, which serves as China’s sovereign wealth fund and boasts unmatched financial resources. Zhang previously served as Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of the Bank of China, Deputy Party Secretary, Vice Chairman, and President of the Export-Import Bank of China, and Deputy Party Secretary and President of the Agricultural Bank of China. In August 2022, he was named Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China, later joining its Monetary Policy Committee. Zhang is said to have worked under Wang Qishan during Wang’s brief tenure as Deputy Governor of the Bank of China in 1996, with Wang reportedly aiding Zhang’s career advancement.
Chen Xi has been appointed Chief Accountant and Party Leadership Group Member of State Grid Corporation. Chen previously worked at Huaneng International Power Development Corporation, serving as Manager of the Budget Department, General Manager and Deputy Party Secretary of Huaneng Group Hong Kong Co., Ltd., and Chief Accountant of State Power Investment Corporation.
Huaneng Group, established in 1993, was primarily managed by the Ministry of Electric Power Industry. From 1997 to 2002, it was a subsidiary of the State Power Corporation. Its rise coincided with the tenure of former Premier Li Peng, who oversaw the power and energy sector. Li’s eldest son, Li Xiaopeng, held senior positions at Huaneng Group, including General Manager.
From the newly appointed officials in various provinces, foreign affairs departments, and state-owned enterprises, it appears that their backgrounds do not align with a single faction. This suggests two developments: first, Xi Jinping’s grip on power is indeed weakening, and the CCP is undergoing another round of reshuffling; second, different factions within the CCP are jockeying for influence, placing their own people in key positions. Xi no longer has the ability to maintain complete control. △
(Published by People News)
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