On May 30, 2026, it was reported that Guan Zhiou, the Minister of the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Natural Resources, has taken over as the Party Secretary of Hubei Province, replacing Wang Zhonglin. The official statement mentioned that Wang Zhonglin has been “reassigned”, and his current whereabouts are unknown. Wang Zhonglin had a poor reputation, having persecuted journalists who exposed corruption. He also sparked controversy for showing excessive loyalty to the Party leader. There are rumors circulating that he might be reinstated by the authorities.
According to a report from Xinhua News Agency today (May 30), Guan Zhiou has been appointed as a member, standing committee member, and secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee; while Wang Zhonglin will no longer hold the positions of Party Secretary, standing committee member, and member of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, as he has been reassigned.
Guan Zhiou, a candidate member of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, previously served as the Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Public records show that Guan Zhiou, 56 years old, a native of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, had worked in Liaoning for many years, holding positions such as Deputy Mayor of Shenyang, Director of the Rural Economic Commission of Liaoning Province, Secretary-General of the Provincial Government, and Secretary of the Office Party Committee. In December 2016, he was appointed as a standing committee member of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee, and in January 2017, he also became the Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Trade Unions. In March 2018, Guan Zhiou was transferred to Shandong Province as a standing committee member of the Provincial Party Committee, later also serving as the Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee’s Education Working Committee.
In May 2020, Guan Zhiou was appointed as the Director and Party Secretary of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Management Bureau), as well as a member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Natural Resources. In December 2024, he became the Party Secretary and Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Wang Zhonglin, 63 years old, is a member of the 20th Central Committee. He attended law school majoring in criminal law at the East China University of Political Science and Law from September 1980 to July 1984. He worked in the public security system in Zaozhuang City for many years, holding positions such as Captain and Political Commissar of the Traffic Police Detachment of the Zaozhuang Public Security Bureau. Later, he served as the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Zaozhuang City Procuratorate, Deputy Secretary of the Yishan District Committee of Zaozhuang City, principal of the Party School, and District Mayor of Yishan District. Wang Zhonglin later held positions such as Secretary of the Tengzhou Municipal Party Committee and principal of the Party School, Standing Committee member of the Zaozhuang Municipal Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Liaocheng Municipal Committee, Mayor of Liaocheng, Director of the Development and Reform Commission of Shandong Province, Deputy Secretary and Mayor of Jinan Municipal Committee of Shandong Province, Standing Committee member of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Jinan Municipal Committee.
In February 2020, Wang Zhonglin was appointed as a Standing Committee member of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Party Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Committee. In April 2021, he was promoted to Deputy Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, and in May he became the Governor of Hubei Province. In January 2025, he was then promoted to Party Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee.
His current whereabouts are unknown. Recent online rumors suggest that Wang Zhonglin may soon succeed Chen Yixin as the Minister of National Security, while earlier reports indicated that he might replace Wang Xiaohong as the Minister of Public Security.
Wang Zhonglin himself has a ruthless track record of human rights violations. During his time as the Secretary of the Tengzhou Municipal Party Committee, he was involved in the persecution of the prominent journalist Qi Chonghuai, who exposed corruption in the official circles.
Qi Chonghuai wrote a deep report titled “A Female Broadcaster Found Dead in the Mayor’s Bed” on December 26, 2004, which greatly displeased the high-level officials in Shandong of the Chinese Communist Party. During Qi Chonghuai’s investigation in Tengzhou, he touched upon the corruption of Wang Zhonglin, who was the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee at that time, leading to his arrest in Jinan across regions. In May 2008, Qi Chonghuai was sentenced to 4 years in prison on charges of extortion and blackmail. In 2011, as Qi Chonghuai approached the end of his sentence, he suddenly had his sentence extended by 8 years after disclosing to the public his experience of torture and nearly being silenced. It was rumored that Wang Zhonglin had declared at the time, “Qi Chonghuai won’t leave alive!”
On March 24, 2018, Qi Chonghuai was released from prison, his hair now fully white. Meanwhile, Wang Zhonglin continued to rise in ranks, eventually becoming the Secretary of the Jinan Municipal Party Committee.
In March 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, Wang Zhonglin was transferred from Jinan to serve as the Party Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Committee. Upon arriving, he asked the people of Wuhan, who were deeply affected by the pandemic, to “be grateful to the Party and grateful to Xi Jinping” as Xi was planning a visit to Wuhan. This statement drew widespread criticism, with netizens questioning, “How can they be grateful when so many innocent lives were lost?” Eventually, the authorities had to urgently retract the report. Wang Zhonglin’s show of loyalty led to his promotion to Governor and Party Secretary of the province.
On May 24 last year, Wang Zhonglin, then Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, made a speech at the opening ceremony of the training session for county party secretaries, demanding that they be “resounding, tough, and loud.” This remark prompted ridicule from netizens, who felt that Communist Party officials spoke like gangsters.
This event highlights the ongoing power struggles and controversies within the Chinese political landscape, showcasing the consequences faced by those who challenge the established order.