In a recent announcement, the political scene in Chongqing has been tumultuous and unstable. Local authorities unexpectedly declared on the evening of May 7th that Zhang Anjiang, the Deputy Mayor of Chongqing and Director of the Public Security Bureau, had passed away at the age of 55 due to a sudden illness that failed to respond to treatment. However, rumors circulating online suggest that he died by jumping off a building.
The Chongqing Daily client on May 7th evening cited official sources reporting that Zhang Anjiang “passed away at 10:52 pm on May 7, 2026, at the age of 55 due to a sudden illness that failed to respond to treatment.”
Public records indicate that Zhang Anjiang was born in February 1971 and had worked extensively in Gansu province. He held various positions such as Director of the Fixed Asset Investment Department of the Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Deputy Director of the Western Development Office of Gansu Province, Deputy Mayor of Wuwei City in Gansu Province, Deputy Director of the Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Deputy Secretary of the Jiuquan Municipal Party Committee and Mayor in Gansu Province. In December 2019, Zhang Anjiang served as the Deputy Secretary of the Tongnan District Committee in Chongqing, acting District Head, became District Head in January 2020, was promoted to District Committee Secretary in April 2021, appointed as the Deputy Mayor of Chongqing in January 2023, and assumed the positions of Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau in February 2024, concurrently serving as the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee on Political and Legal Affairs.
According to the Chongqing Municipal Government’s official website, Zhang Anjiang ranked fourth among the seven Deputy Mayors of Chongqing, responsible for public security, judicial administration, petition work, and confidentiality. He oversaw various administrative bodies including the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Judicial Bureau, Municipal Letters and Visits Office, Municipal National Bureau of Secrecy, Municipal Prison Administration Bureau, and Municipal Education Correction Bureau (Municipal Drug Rehabilitation Administration), and maintained contact with the Municipal Supervision Commission, Municipal Higher People’s Court, Municipal People’s Procuratorate, Chongqing Armed Police Corps, Chongqing Municipal State Security Bureau, and Chongqing Border Inspection General Station.
Despite his passing, official reports continue to refer to Zhang Anjiang as a “comrade.”
Prior to the official announcement of Zhang Anjiang’s death, rumors of his involvement in an incident had circulated in the community.
Following the official notification of Zhang Anjiang’s death, netizens on Weibo commented, “This position is as influential as the Blue House” and questioned whether his death from a sudden illness was plausible.
On overseas platforms, several accounts have claimed that Zhang Anjiang died by jumping off a building, though this assertion remains unverified.
The political landscape in Chongqing has long been described as trapped in a “curse.” Bo Xilai, the former Chongqing Party Secretary, was taken down on March 15, 2012, and later sentenced to life imprisonment on September 22, 2013. He was succeeded by Sun Zhengcai, who was also arrested in July 2017. Chen Min’er, the subsequent Party Secretary of Chongqing, rumored to be Xi Jinping’s successor, was eventually transferred to Tianjin.
Since Chongqing’s direct administration (since 1997), there have been eight Directors of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau: Chen Bangguo, Zhu Mingguo, Liu Guanglei, Wang Lijun, He Ting, Deng Huilin, Hu Minglang, and Zhang Anjiang. Among the former Public Security Bureau Directors, four have been arrested, namely Zhu Mingguo, Wang Lijun, He Ting, and Deng Huilin, with Wang Lijun, He Ting, and Deng Huilin falling while in office in Chongqing.
In early November 2019, the official announcement by Chongqing reported the death of Ren Xuefeng, the former Deputy Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, stating that “Comrade Ren Xuefeng recently passed away due to an incurable illness.” However, rumors circulated online suggest that Ren Xuefeng died by falling from the Jingxi Guesthouse during the 4th Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee in Beijing.
In recent years, efforts have been made to “cleanse the remnants of Bo Xilai and Sun Zhengcai” in Chongqing, resulting in investigations into high-level officials such as the former Vice Mayor of Chongqing Xiong Xue and Jiang Dundao, former Vice Chairman of the Chongqing People’s Congress Zheng Hong, former Deputy Secretary of the Party and Political Committee Secretary Lu Kehua, and former Vice Chairman of the Chongqing CPPCC Duan Chenggang. Wu Cunrong, the former Chairman of the Shanxi Provincial CPPCC, who was arrested, also served as the Executive Deputy Mayor of Chongqing. Tang Liangzhi, former Mayor of Chongqing, was demoted to Chairman of the Anhui Provincial CPPCC before stepping down and taking a new position as Deputy Head of the National CPPCC Education, Science, Health and Sports Committee.
Most recently, former Deputy Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee and Mayor Hu Henghua was announced to be under investigation on March 20, and former member of the Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Liangjiang New Area Luo Lin was taken down on April 17.