In recent years, it seems to have become a common practice in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for officials to first be absent from events and then fall from grace. The Secretary of the CCP Liaoning Provincial Committee, Xu Kunlin, has been absent from several official events since April 14th, with the Liaoning Provincial Committee Standing Committee and Secretary-General Jiang Youwei, who usually accompanies him, notably missing. There are rumors circulating that Jiang Youwei is under investigation. Jiang Youwei was promoted to his position as a member of the Liaoning Provincial Committee and Secretary-General by the former Liaoning Provincial Committee Secretary, Hao Peng.
According to the Liaoning Provincial Government’s website, Xu Kunlin participated in various research and meeting activities from last Tuesday (April 14) to last Friday. Jiang Youwei was not present in the official accompanying leadership list provided in the announcements.
During this period, Liaoning Province signed strategic cooperation framework agreements with Huatai Securities Co., Ltd., China Merchants Group, China Rongtong Asset Management Group, among others. Xu Kunlin met with leaders of the relevant companies, accompanied by the Governor Wang Xinwei, and jointly attended the signing ceremonies. The name of Jiang Youwei did not appear in the official list of accompanying personnel.
On April 10, during Xu Kunlin’s meeting with the Chairman of China Energy Construction Group Ltd., Ni Zhen, and his research visit to the Liaoning Provincial State Security Department, Jiang Youwei was present. The last public appearance of Jiang Youwei was on April 13th, when he participated in a collective discussion between Xu Kunlin and the party secretaries and principals of universities throughout Liaoning Province.
High-ranking CCP officials often face dismissal after being absent from events. Prior to this, Luo Lin, a member of the Chongqing Municipal Standing Committee and Secretary of the Two Rivers New District Committee, was reported to have been placed under investigation on April 14th following his absence from an event on the 13th.
Three days ago, rumors surfaced online about Jiang Youwei being investigated. It is rumored that Jiang Youwei is a close ally of the former Minister of the Central Organization Department, Li Ganjie, and his investigation may be linked to Li Ganjie. However, these rumors cannot be confirmed at this time.
Public records show that Jiang Youwei, born in September 1967 in Nongan, Jilin Province, has held various positions in Jilin, including Deputy Mayor and member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee in Baishan City, Deputy Mayor, Director of the Provincial Economic Committee, Director of the Industrial and Information Technology Department, Deputy Secretary-General of the Provincial Government, Deputy Secretary and Mayor of Liaoyuan City, Director of the Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Deputy Governor.
From January 2017 to January 2021, Jiang Youwei served as Deputy Secretary of the Shenyang Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Liaoning Province, and from January 2021 to September 2023, as Deputy Governor of Liaoning Province. In September 2023, he became a member of the Liaoning Provincial Committee Standing Committee, Secretary-General, concurrently serving as the Director of the Provincial Party Committee General Office and Secretary of the Provincial Direct Institutions Working Committee, becoming the “major steward” for two consecutive Provincial Party Secretaries, Hao Peng (November 2022 to September 2025) and Xu Kunlin (September 2025 to present).
Jiang Youwei was appointed to his current position when Hao Peng led Liaoning Province, with Hao Peng currently serving as the Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.