On April 21, 2026, Lu Wuqin, the Director of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the General Administration of Customs of the Chinese Communist Party, was appointed as the Assistant Minister of Public Security. Over the past year, there have been frequent personnel changes in the senior leadership of the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Public Security, including the replacement of two Assistant Ministers of Public Security. Recently, rumors have been circulating about the unusual activities of Wang Xiaohong, a close confidant of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and Minister of Public Security, fueling speculations about his rumored illness and imminent resignation.
According to a report from the official Chinese Communist Party media Xinhua News Agency, on April 21, 2026, a list of appointments and removals was released by the State Council of the Chinese Communist Party, appointing Lu Wuqin as the Assistant Minister of Public Security.
Lu Wuqin, born in September 1967, has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Office of the Ministry of Public Security, the Director of the Audit Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, the Director of the Food and Drug Crime Investigation Bureau, the Director of the News and Propaganda Bureau, and the Director of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the General Administration of Customs, according to his public resume.
In his new role, Lu Wuqin fills the vacancy left by Liu Zhongyi after his retirement as the Assistant Minister of Public Security, as reported by the Southern Metropolis Daily. Three months ago, on January 31, 2026, the State Council announced the removal of Liu Zhongyi from his position as the Assistant Minister of Public Security; subsequently, Liu Zhongyi stepped down from his roles as the Assistant Minister of Public Security and the Director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau before retiring due to age.
In recent months, there have been several simultaneous adjustments to the positions of department and bureau heads within the Ministry of Public Security. Following Lu Wuqin’s appointment to the General Administration of Customs, Li Guozhong, the former Deputy Director of the News and Propaganda Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, has taken over as the Director of the News and Propaganda Bureau, while the position of Director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau has been assumed by Jiang Guoli from the Political Commissar of the bureau.
According to the official website of the Ministry of Public Security, there are currently two Assistant Ministers. Apart from Lu Wuqin, the other Assistant Minister is Tan Quan, the Director of the Network Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.
In May 2025, Hu Binchen, the former Assistant Minister of Public Security and Director of the Office of the Ministry of Public Security, was transferred to serve as the Deputy Governor and Director of the Public Security Department of Jiangsu Province. Subsequently, Tan Quan, the Director of the Network Security Protection Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, was appointed Assistant Minister in October 2025.
Over the past year, there have been frequent senior personnel adjustments within the Ministry of Public Security. On April 16, 2025, Xu Ganlu was dismissed from his position as the Deputy Minister of Public Security and the Director of the National Immigration Administration, with Wang Zhizhong taking over his duties.
On July 9, 2025, Yang Weilin was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Public Security, while Deputy Ministers of Public Security Chen Siyuan and Sun Maoli were relieved of their duties.
On July 21, 2025, Ling Zhifeng, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the Director of the Political Department, was promoted to Deputy Minister of Public Security and concurrently appointed as the Director of the Security Bureau. Ling Zhifeng, a native of Fuyang in Zhejiang Province, had served in Zhejiang for a long time before being promoted across provinces to Vice Chairman and Director of the Public Security Department of Guangxi in July 2022, and becoming the Director of the Political Department of the Ministry of Public Security in 2023.
In September 2025, Jia Lijun was appointed as a member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the Director of the Political Department. Jia Lijun had previously served as the Deputy Party Secretary, Political Commissar, and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Intelligence Command Center of the Ministry of Public Security before being transferred to the position of Deputy Governor of Guizhou Province and Director of the Public Security Department in January 2023.
The shifting personnel landscape includes the resignations of Xu Ganlu and Chen Siyuan, and the reassignments of Hu Binchen–all of whom are close confidants and former subordinates of Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong. Conversely, the new Deputy Minister Yang Weilin and Deputy Minister and Security Bureau Director Ling Zhifeng have had no past intersections of career paths with Wang Xiaohong.
Wang Xiaohong, born in July 1957, currently 69 years old, was appointed as Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee of the Ministry of Public Security in November 2021 and subsequently became the Minister of Public Security in June 2022. In recent years, rumors have circulated about Wang Xiaohong’s illness and the imminent replacement of the Minister of Public Security and Party Secretary Wang Xiaohong.
From March 15 to 17, 2026, Wang Xiaohong traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam to attend the inaugural Ministerial-level meeting of the “3+3” strategic dialogues on foreign affairs, defense, and public security between China and Vietnam. Following this, from March 18 to April 14, 2026, there were no public reports of his activities, indicating an unusually low profile for four weeks. Wang Xiaohong resurfaced on April 15, 2026, when he participated in a meeting with Xi Jinping and General Secretary and President of the Communist Party of Vietnam Do Luong.
On April 15, 2026, the official website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection reported that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee would conduct an inspection at the Ministry of Public Security from mid-April to the end of June.
During Wang Xiaohong’s absence, various speculations regarding his illness and potential investigation circulated online.
After Wang Xiaohong reappeared, commentator Cai Shenkun posted on April 15, 2026, claiming that inquiries indicated Wang Xiaohong was facing health issues. Commentator Jiang Wangzheng, who has been known to reveal insights into the movements of senior Chinese Communist Party officials, also posted, stating that Wang Xiaohong was suffering from throat cancer and his health was deteriorating. Earlier on April 9, 2026, Jiang Wangzheng had disclosed that Shen Xiaoming, the Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, would succeed Wang Xiaohong as the Minister of Public Security.