On March 5, 2025, PLA delegates arrive at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to attend the opening of the National People's Congress. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
[People News] The power struggle within Zhongnanhai is now shifting from control of the military ("gun barrel") to control over state security and police forces ("knife handle").
Zhou Xianwang Investigated — Linked to Chen Yixin
On July 8, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced that Zhou Xianwang, former member of the Hubei Provincial Political Consultative Conference leadership and former vice chairman, is under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law. According to China’s Economic Observer, multiple sources revealed that Zhou was taken away by disciplinary authorities as early as July 4. Several of his family members were also detained, and his residence was searched.
Insiders claim Zhou’s investigation is connected to the case of Jiang Chaoliang. On February 21, CCDI announced Jiang was under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law.
Zhou became mayor of Wuhan in May 2018. At the time, preparations for the 2019 Military World Games in Wuhan were lagging, and Zhou was sent in as a "firefighter." In late 2019 and early 2020, COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan. Then-Hubei Provincial Party Secretary Jiang Chaoliang and Mayor Zhou were both marginalised for allegedly covering up the outbreak and ultimately fell from grace. Analysts believe their fall was orchestrated by anti-Xi factions and indirectly targets Xi Jinping.
Recently, online rumours suggest Zhou's downfall was triggered by massive bribery allegations linked to State Security Minister Chen Yixin.
Independent media personality Yue Ge stated on his program that on July 1, a Wuhan resident tipped him off, quoting an insider within the system. According to the insider, Wuhan authorities had recently repatriated a gang leader surnamed Chen from overseas. This underworld figure had once operated a vast business empire, primarily in real estate in Wuhan’s Jianghan District. At its peak, his operations also extended into the cultural, entertainment, and football industries, and he was very well known.
After being brought back, the gang leader was interrogated by the police. During questioning, he implicated Zhou Xianwang and also dragged in Chen Yixin, claiming that both had accepted large sums of money. Although the insider did not provide specific details, they stated that the amount of money involved in the corruption of Zhou and Chen was enormous, measured in the hundreds of millions of yuan. On July 4, Zhou Xianwang was taken into custody, and on July 8, his fall was officially announced. This, to some extent, confirmed the insider’s report. The insider also noted that it remains unknown whether Chen Yixin passed the money up the chain or shared the spoils. It is currently difficult to determine whether someone will protect Chen Yixin.
Chen Yixin’s Safe Landing in Doubt
Public records show Chen Yixin is a key member of Xi Jinping’s "Zhijiang New Army." From January 2017 to March 2018, he served as Deputy Party Secretary of Hubei and Party Secretary of Wuhan. He also became Director of the Wuhan People's Congress in February 2017 and was elected as an alternate member of the 19th Central Committee in October that year.
In March 2018, Chen was promoted to Secretary-General of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. During the early stages of the COVID outbreak, he served as deputy head of the central guiding group for Wuhan—ostensibly to manage the epidemic but in reality to maintain social stability for Xi.
If the bribery allegations are true, Chen likely accepted bribes while serving as Wuhan Party Secretary. Using diplomatic and international policing channels to extradite a fugitive gangster is a heavy-handed move, suggesting high-level political motives, possibly to take down key figures like Zhou and Chen.
Rumours of Chen’s shaky future have circulated since early 2024. After Jiang Chaoliang was investigated in February, Chinese media reported that on June 5, 2017, a day before Jiang met Evergrande chairman Xu Jiayin, then-Wuhan Party Secretary Chen Yixin had already met with Xu. An article on Greater Wuhan Client from March 17, 2018, titled "Wuhan Alumnus Xu Jiayin Returns at Chen Yixin's Invitation to Join Yangtze New City Planning", indicates Chen’s close political-business ties with Xu Jiayin.
In March 2025, the Ministry of State Security (MSS) under Chen published a "Han Dynasty: Lessons in Economic Decline and National Security" article interpreted as a subtle attempt to distance himself from Xi Jinping, who was losing power.
On June 23, 2025, during the 10th anniversary seminar of China's National Security Law, Politburo member and NPC Standing Committee Vice Chairman Li Hongzhong delivered the keynote speech. Strangely, MSS Minister Chen Yixin was absent, fueling further speculation that he may be in political trouble.
Chen Yixin, born in 1959, is 66 years old—technically beyond the age limit for a ministerial-level post. Though he once enjoyed Xi Jinping’s favour, as State Security Minister, he aggressively pursued mass surveillance, anti-spy campaigns, and overseas persecution of Falun Gong and Shen Yun Performing Arts. Now, with Xi’s influence waning, the Ministry of State Security may be targeted by anti-Xi forces. Whether Chen can land safely remains uncertain.
Yang Weilin Appointed Vice Minister of Public Security — Wang Xiaohong’s Special Service Bureau May Be Replaced
On July 9, 2025, China’s State Council appointed Yang Weilin as Vice Minister of Public Security, while removing Chen Siyuan and Sun Maoli from their posts.
As early as late June, rumours on overseas social platforms suggested that Yang Weilin, then head of Guangxi Public Security, would be appointed director of the Special Service Bureau—an agency personally established by Xi to monitor retired senior leaders. Wang Xiaohong was the first director, succeeded by his close ally Wang Zhizhong.
Public information shows that Yang Weilin was born in October 1968 and holds a doctorate in law. He has spent much of his career in the public security system of Jilin Province, primarily focusing on economic investigations. From October 2014 to April 2019, he served as Deputy Mayor of Siping City, Director of the Siping Public Security Bureau, a member of the Siping Municipal Party Committee, and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. In December 2021, Yang was appointed Director of the Changchun Public Security Bureau, and in February 2022, he was elected Vice Mayor of Changchun. In 2023, he was transferred to Guangxi, where he served as Vice Chairman of the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a member of the Party Leadership Group, Party Secretary and Director of the Guangxi Public Security Department, Chief Inspector, and concurrently as Deputy Secretary of the Regional Party Committee's Political and Legal Affairs Commission. According to the latest update on the Ministry of Public Security’s official website, Yang Weilin currently ranks eighth among the nine leadership members. He is positioned between Yue Xiuhu, the Ministry's Counter-Terrorism Commissioner (Vice Minister), and Liu Zhongyi, Assistant Minister and Director of the Fifth Bureau.
Exiled Australian-based commentator Jiang Wangzheng recently reported that Yang Weilin would be promoted to Vice Minister and also lead the Special Service Bureau. On July 9, after the official announcement, another commentator, "Xiaoshuojia", confirmed with Jiang that Yang is indeed expected to take over the Special Service Bureau. Jiang further confirmed that Yang is a protégé of Bayin Chaolu.
Public records show that from October 2014 to November 2020, Bayin Chaolu served as the Party Secretary of Jilin Province and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial People's Congress. During this period, from October 2014 to May 2019, Yang Weilin successively held positions as a member of the Siping Municipal Party Committee, Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Siping, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Jilin Provincial High People's Court, and Vice President of the same court. It is believed that he was promoted under the patronage of Bayin Chaolu.
In November 1991, Bayin Chaolu moved from being Party Secretary of Ejin Horo Banner in Inner Mongolia to become Deputy Secretary of the Inner Mongolia Communist Youth League (CYL) Committee. He then spent the next decade working in the CYL system, including eight years at the CYL Central Committee.
In 1993, Bayin Chaolu was promoted from Secretary of the Inner Mongolia CYL Committee to become a member of the CYL Central Secretariat, ranking fifth among six secretaries. At that time, the First Secretary of the CYL Central Committee was current Premier Li Keqiang, with whom Bayin Chaolu worked for five years. In 2001, Bayin Chaolu became Executive Secretary of the CYL Central Secretariat. Others who ranked below him included Hu Chunhua and Sun Jinlong.
Notably, Bayin Chaolu’s experience in Zhejiang overlapped with Xi Jinping’s for five years. In 2002, Xi Jinping transferred from Fujian to Zhejiang, where he served as Acting Governor and then as Party Secretary until 2007. Based on Bayin Chaolu’s career trajectory, he appears to be more aligned with the Tuanpai (Communist Youth League faction) linked to Hu Jintao and Li Keqiang. Yang Weilin, as a protégé of Bayin Chaolu, being appointed Vice Minister of Public Security, can be seen as a Tuanpai move to wrest control of the "knife handle" (i.e., security apparatus). Particularly if Yang assumes control of the Special Service Bureau, it would signal yet another victory for retired senior leaders in the ongoing political power struggle ahead of the Beidaihe meetings.
In May this year, Hu Binchen—Wang Xiaohong's top aide, Assistant Minister of Public Security and Director of the General Office—was transferred out of Beijing. This move suggests that certain forces are steadily working to dismantle Wang Xiaohong’s grip over the security apparatus. △
(Published by People News)
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