Four former top officials of the Chinese Communist Party, including Hu Jintao, Li Ruihuan, Wu Guanzheng, and Luo Gan, were absent from the memorial ceremony for former CCP leader Jiang Zemin on August 17, 2026. Among them, the absence of Li Ruihuan, known as the “Jiang slayer,” has sparked speculation.
The CCP authorities held a centennial memorial ceremony for former party leader Jiang Zemin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on August 17, 2026. According to reports from Xinhua News Agency and live footage from CCTV, out of the 17 former top CCP officials, 13 attended the ceremony, including Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Lanqing, Zeng Qinghong, Li Changchun, He Guoqiang, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan, Zhang Gaoli; while Hu Jintao, Li Ruihuan, Wu Guanzheng, and Luo Gan were absent.
Hu Jintao, born in December 1942, is now 83 years old. The last public appearance of Hu Jintao was in December 2022 at Jiang Zemin’s funeral. In 2025, Hu Jintao did not participate in the Beijing September 3rd military parade. Rumors about Hu Jintao’s health crisis have been circulating recently.
Luo Gan, born in July 1935, is now 91 years old. Luo Gan’s last public appearance was on September 3, 2015, attending the ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese War and the World Anti-Fascist War. Since the 19th National Congress in October 2017, Luo Gan has been consistently absent from major public events, such as the 70th anniversary celebration of the founding of the CCP in 2019, the National Day military parade on October 1, 2019, the opening ceremony of the 19th National Congress of the CCP in October 2017, and the 20th National Congress of the CCP in October 2022.
Wu Guanzheng, born in August 1938, is now 88 years old. Wu Guanzheng’s last public appearance was at the September 3, 2025 military parade.
Li Ruihuan, born in September 1934, is now 91 years old. Li Ruihuan attended the 75th anniversary celebration of the founding of the CCP on September 30, 2024; he also attended the military parade on September 3, 2025.
Commentator Cai Shenkun posted on August 17, 2026, suggesting that Li Ruihuan’s absence today was unexpected. There have been continuous rumors about Li Ruihuan’s health crisis. Li Ruihuan is known for being one of the few standing up to Jiang Zemin directly, earning him the nickname “Jiang slayer.” Xi Jinping’s high-profile commemoration of Jiang Zemin may have intentionally omitted inviting Li Ruihuan or Li Ruihuan himself refused to attend, possibly due to political reasons rather than solely age or health issues. The absence of Wu Guanzheng and Luo Gan, who are aligned with Jiang Zemin, is likely due to health reasons.
In the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, Deng Xiaoping promoted two key figures: Li Ruihuan from Tianjin and Jiang Zemin from Sha…