Two Sessions Open as Three Vice-National-Level Officials Remain Missing

Will the CCP Hold the Most Disastrous Two Sessions in History? (Illustration by People News)

[People News] At the opening ceremony of the Chinese Communist Party’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), three current vice-national-level officials were notably absent: Politburo member Ma Xingrui, CPPCC Vice Chairman Chen Wu, and National People’s Congress Vice Chairman Hao Mingjin. All three have recently been missing from a series of high-level CCP meetings. Observers believe that Ma Xingrui and Chen Wu have most likely already encountered political trouble.

Ma Xingrui’s Disappearance Raises Speculation

Early this year, many political observers predicted that “in the Year of the Horse, Ma Xingrui will fall.” Their reasoning stems from the unusual circumstances surrounding his removal in July 2025 as Party Secretary of Xinjiang. After being removed, he was never given another position, and since the second half of last year he has repeatedly been absent from meetings he would normally attend.

Around the time of his dismissal, officials connected to Ma Xingrui were purged across Xinjiang’s political system, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Guangdong’s political circles, and even the aerospace and military-industrial sector, where he had previously worked.

Officials removed include:

  • Liu Chen, Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Political and Legal Affairs Commission

  • Jin Zhizhen, Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang CPPCC

  • Ma Zhijun, Secretary of the Urumqi Political and Legal Affairs Commission

  • Guo Lianshan, former Deputy Procurator of the Xinjiang Procuratorate

  • Chen Weijun, Executive Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang government

  • Li Xu, Deputy Commander of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps

  • Mou Zongyi, former Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Public Security Department

In addition, Gao Shiwen, mayor of Nanchang in Jiangxi—who served for years as Ma Xingrui’s secretary at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation—missed several key meetings in February.

Another close associate, Guo Yonghang, once Ma’s chief aide in Shenzhen, was removed in December from his post as Guangdong Provincial Standing Committee member and Guangzhou Party Secretary, and on January 28 was reassigned as Vice Chairman of the Guangdong CPPCC.

More recently, on February 28, 2026, the first senior official to fall in the Year of the Horse, Han Song, deputy general manager of China Resources Group, turned himself in for investigation. Han had close ties to Ma Xingrui.

From 2019 to 2024, Han led Huadian Xinjiang Company, while Ma served as Xinjiang Party Secretary from December 2021 to July 2025. During that period, Ma strongly supported Huadian Xinjiang’s expansion. Han was also selected in January 2023 as a member of the Xinjiang CPPCC. The two frequently appeared together at project launches and even traveled abroad together—for example, during a visit to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan in March 2023.

Why Has Beijing Not Announced Ma Xingrui’s Fall?

Although many believe Ma Xingrui has already been removed, Beijing has not yet officially announced it.

Former Inner Mongolia official Du Zheng suggested that the case might be revealed after the Two Sessions, or possibly later at the Fifth Plenary Session of the CCP’s 20th Central Committee, expected this summer or autumn.

Another absent official is Chen Wu, who failed to attend the CPPCC opening meeting.

Since April 2025, when he missed the 35th CPPCC Chairman’s meeting, Chen has largely disappeared from public view. He was also absent from several subsequent high-level meetings, including:

  • The 15th meeting of the 14th CPPCC Standing Committee on March 1

  • The 46th CPPCC Chairman’s meeting on February 6, 2026

  • The 36th CPPCC Chairman’s meeting on May 28, 2025

Chen Wu, an ethnic Zhuang official, spent most of his career in Guangxi. He became chairman of the Guangxi regional government in March 2013, later moved to the National People’s Congress Financial and Economic Affairs Committee in November 2020, and was appointed CPPCC Vice Chairman in March 2023.

A key development occurred on May 16, 2025, when Chen’s former subordinate Lan Tianli, then chairman of the Guangxi regional government, was investigated. Lan had served as Chen’s deputy for nearly five years.

Since Lan’s fall, the Guangxi political system has undergone continuous purges. Recently, several officials have been investigated, including:

  • Pan Yuwei, former head of the People’s Congress Standing Committee in Hechi (Lan’s hometown)

  • Wang Yaolei, deputy director of the People’s Congress Standing Committee in Chongzuo (Chen’s hometown)

Observers say that according to the CCP’s typical pattern of targeting associates after a senior official falls, these developments suggest Chen Wu may also be under investigation.

Fewer Participants at the Two Sessions

Attendance at this year’s Two Sessions has decreased.

Some delegates and members lost their positions, while others reportedly requested leave or skipped the meetings.

On February 26, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announced the termination of 19 NPC deputies, including nine military representatives.

On March 2, the CPPCC Standing Committee announced the removal of 13 members, including Han Weiguo and Wang Xinghuan, due to disciplinary investigations.

Originally, the 14th National People’s Congress had 2,878 deputies. At the preparatory meeting on March 4, only 2,761 attended, leaving 117 absent.

The 14th CPPCC originally had 2,169 members. Party media reported that 2,125 were expected, but only 2,078 actually attended, meaning 47 were absent. Among them were eight military members, and the absence rate among military generals reportedly reached 89 percent.

Military Delegation Shrinks

Another unusual development concerns the military delegation.

On March 3, the PLA and Armed Police delegation was established with Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, as its head. For the first time, there was no deputy head.

The delegation’s size also dropped sharply—from 281 members originally to 243.

In previous years, two Central Military Commission vice chairmen typically served as the delegation’s head and deputy head. Last year, 26 generals served as NPC deputies, but this year only five generals remain. Observers say it may have been difficult to select a deputy head from such a small group.

Meanwhile, the Two Sessions presidium now has 167 members, nine fewer than the 176 members in 2025.

Atmosphere of Fear Among Delegates

According to Hu Liren, a former Shanghai entrepreneur now living in the United States, many NPC deputies and CPPCC members are extremely anxious about attending the meetings.

Some fear that something might happen to them if they go to Beijing, while others worry about saying the wrong thing.

As a result, some delegates have reportedly pretended to be ill or claimed sudden health problems, checking into hospitals to obtain leave and avoid attending the meetings.

(People News first published) △