Xi Jinping’s former cronies in Fujian, Zhejiang and Shanghai, as well as his friends from his days as a youth in Shaanxi and as an official in Hebei, are known as the Xi Family Army, and the rivalry between the different forces has drawn attention. Recently two Fujian provincial officials have been reappointed. According to the Hong Kong media, it seems that the Fujian “Min officials” are more important than the Zhejiang officials of the so-called “Zhijiang New Army”.
Chinese media reported on May 12 that on May 8, Yunnan Vice Governor Liu Hongjian became a member of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee and a member of its Standing Committee, while on May 10, Fujian Provincial Party Secretary Guo Xiwen was found to have become a member of the Guizhou Provincial Government’s party group.
Liu Hongjian (1973) and Guo Xiwen (1968) are both from Fujian. Liu Hongjian has served in Fuding, Ningde and Nanping in Fujian before being transferred to Yunnan in July 2020; Guo Xiwen, on the other hand, has served in the military industry system (China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation) for many years before becoming the mayor of Ningde in 2017 and secretary of the municipal party committee the following year.
Hong Kong media outlet Ming Pao said that these are just the latest two examples of Min officials who have risen to the top in recent provincial and ministerial personnel adjustments, with Minhou native Lin Wu as governor of Shanxi, Fuqing native Zheng Jiejie as governor of Zhejiang province, Quanzhou native Zhuang Guotai as head of the China Meteorological Administration and Pingtan-born Hou Jianguo as president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The report said that given Xi’s long tenure in Fujian and his extensive connections, the rise of Fujian officials has recently gained momentum and is as strong as that of the “Zhijiang New Army” of Zhejiang officials, which was promoted by Xi’s former colleague and head of the Central Organization Department, Chen Xi.
Xi Jinping had served in Fujian officialdom for more than 17 years, served as deputy mayor of Xiamen, Ningde local party secretary, Fuzhou municipal party secretary, Fujian Provincial Party Committee full-time deputy secretary, governor, etc.. As opposed to his 6 years as a youth in Shaanxi, 3 years as a county official in Hebei, less than 5 years in charge of Zhejiang, and only half a year in Shanghai. Xi Jinping acquaintances the most or Fujian.
The report said that among the Zhejiang officials, Cai Qi, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, and Huang Kunming, head of the Central Propaganda Department, are themselves of Fujian origin, and the two were randomly promoted after Xi Jinping entered Zhongnanhai. Although Chen Xifei is not from Fujian, he has made his mark as an official of the Min family: He Lifeng, vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and head of the National Development and Reform Commission, and Song Tao, head of the Central Federation. Both have worked in Fujian for a long time and can be classified as Fujian-based.
There are also many senior officials of Fujian origin in the top echelons of the CCP, such as Zhuang Rongwen (a native of Quanzhou), vice minister of the Propaganda Department and director of the Internet Information Office, Xu Yusheng (a native of Minqing), vice minister of the United Front Work Department, Pei Jinjia (a native of Anxi), and three vice ministers of public security, Wang Xiaohong (a native of Fuzhou), Xu Ganlu (a native of Xiamen), and Lin Rui (a native of Minhou).
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