On April 3, 2026, the Chinese Communist Party announced that Ma Xingrui, a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee, was under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law.” This announcement marked the first time his position as the Deputy Leader of the Central Rural Work Steering Group was officially disclosed. Ma Xingrui has been implicated in having close ties with Xi Jinping’s wife, Peng Liyuan.
Ma Xingrui, a native of Yuncheng, Shandong Province, had been relieved of his duties as the Party Secretary of Xinjiang since July last year. Official sources had previously stated that he had been “assigned to other duties,” yet his role as the Deputy Leader of the Central Rural Work Steering Group had not been made public. This role was previously held by Ma Xingrui’s predecessor as the Party Secretary of Xinjiang, Chen Quanguo.
Rumors of Ma Xingrui’s downfall had been circulating since the end of last year when he repeatedly missed important meetings. Several of his former colleagues from his time working in the aerospace industry, Guangdong, and Xinjiang have also faced similar fates, getting caught up in corruption scandals.
On March 27, the Deputy Chairperson of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Guo Yonghang, was also officially removed from office. Guo Yonghang, originally from Jiyang, Shandong Province, had worked in Guangdong for a long time. A decade ago, he served as the secretary to Ma Xingrui, who was then the Party Secretary of Shenzhen. Guo Yonghang later held positions as the Party Secretary of Zhuhai, Mayor of Guangzhou, member of the Guangdong Provincial Committee, and Party Secretary of Guangzhou. He was relieved of his duties as Party Secretary last year and was appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in January this year.
During his tenure at the Aerospace Science and Technology Group, Ma Xingrui’s former secretary and Mayor of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, Gao Shiwen, also faced allegations for absenteeism from important meetings in February. The public social media updates from the Nanchang government, which used to feature “Comrade Gao Shiwen’s weekly governmental affairs,” ceased on February 8. There were rumors circulating on social media that Gao Shiwen had been summoned for questioning.
Independent commentator Du Zheng previously expressed in an article in Taiwanese media that Guo Yonghang and Gao Shiwen shared two distinct labels: both had served as secretaries to Ma Xingrui and were also his fellow natives of Shandong. The downfall of a secretary often reflects on the crisis of their superior. The shared label of being “fellow natives of Shandong” underlines the narrative of cliques in the Communist Party, where regional ties play a significant role. The most influential ally of the official faction from Shandong is claimed to be Peng Liyuan, the wife of Xi Jinping. Ma Xingrui’s close relationship with Peng Liyuan had reportedly contributed to his rapid career advancement in the past.
Du Zheng suggested that Ma Xingrui was a rising star in the political circle close to Xi Jinping and his spouse. However, Ma’s downfall now could be due to the spread of corruption within the military-industrial complex, as well as reported instances of corruption within Ma’s own family. With difficulties surrounding Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan, Xi was left with no choice but to “tearfully cut off Ma Xingrui” on the year of the horse.