On August 22, 2026, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party held its sixth plenary meeting, with a record high number of absent members among the Commission. Prior to this, there were reports of members of the current Commission being removed from their positions, but official information remained opaque. During this meeting, the authorities simultaneously appointed two new Deputy Secretaries of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, one of whom was speculated to be Xiao Pei, a former associate of the former Secretary of the Commission, Wang Qishan, while the identity of the other appointee remains unknown.
According to Xinhua News Agency of the Chinese Communist Party, the sixth plenary session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection was held in Beijing on August 22. Li Xi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and the Secretary of the Commission, delivered a speech at the meeting. The session emphasized the need to strengthen political supervision, strictly observe disciplinary rules during leadership transitions, and emphasized the anti-corruption efforts.
It is worth noting that only 116 members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection attended this plenary meeting, marking the lowest attendance since the beginning of this term of the Commission.
Initially, there were 133 members of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, with 132 members present at the first plenary session on October 23, 2022; 127 members present at the second session from January 9 to 10, 2023; 132 members present at the third session from January 8 to 10, 2024; 131 members present at the fourth session from January 6 to 8, 2025; and 120 members present at the fifth session from January 12 to 14, 2026.
On August 22, 2026, at the sixth plenary meeting, only 116 members attended, with a record high of 17 absentees.
After the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, many members of the Central Committee appointed by Xi Jinping have fallen from power. Even within the highest disciplinary inspection institution of the Party, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, some members have been implicated, with several tied to rumors of being investigated.
On October 28, 2025, after a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, several personnel changes were announced, with multiple individuals being stripped of their qualifications as NPC deputies, including Sun Bin, the Audit Director of the PLA Central Military Commission. A month later, it was officially revealed that Sun Bin was “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law.”
Jiang Xinjun, a member of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Party Committee, passed away on November 3, 2025, due to a sudden illness during work, at the age of 56. His sudden death during a period of upheaval in local government leadership in Xinjiang led to speculation about the reasons behind it.
From January 12 to 14, 2026, the fifth plenary meeting of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection was held in Beijing. There were reports circulating on the internet listing 13 absent members, including those deceased like Jiang Xinjun and Sun Bin, along with:
1. Chen Guoqiang, former Political Commissar of the National Defense University (Air Force Major General)
2. Leng Shaojie, former Deputy Political Commissar of the Navy (Navy Rear Admiral)
3. Cheng Dongfang, former Deputy Political Commissar of the Navy (Navy Rear Admiral)
4. Li Jun, former Director of the Political Work Department of the Armed Police Force (Armed Police Major General)
5. Chen Jianfei, former Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Armed Police Force (Armed Police Major General)
6. Yang Xiaoxiang, former Deputy Political Commissar of the National Defense University (Army Major General)
7. Miao Wenjiang, former Political Commissar of the Central Theater Command (Army Major General)
8. Lou Chunsai, former Deputy Political Commissar of the Central Theater Command and Director of the Political Work Department (Army Major General)
9. Liu Jun, Director of the Political Work Bureau of the Equipment Development Department of the Military Commission (Air Force Brigadier General)
10. Xu Xianping, former Chairman of China Ordnance Equipment Group
11. Shen Xiaohui, Head of the Disciplinary Inspection and Supervision Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs
Former Central Commission for Discipline Inspection official Wang Youqun wrote in an article for the Epoch Times that these absent members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection from the military system are likely related to the ongoing major purge within the military system, and they may have sent money to former Vice Chairman of the Military Commission He Weidong or Miao Hua, Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission.
Wang Qishan, a former Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection who had many loyal allies in the disciplinary system, saw his Beijing ally, Xiao Pei, being appointed as Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on June 24, 2026. He was absent from the meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on July 3.
On May 20, 2026, Cai Shunkun, a commentator, posted on X platform alleging that Xiao Pei, the former Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, was implicated by Zhou Liang, the former secretary and Deputy Director of the Discipline Inspection Department of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, causing Xiao Pei to be removed from his position recently. A special investigation team was subsequently established by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to investigate the so-called “traitor.” Rumors of Xiao Pei being investigated had circulated since 2025, and only when Zhou Liang was arrested did he implicate Xiao Pei.
On May 27, 2026, Cai Shunkun posted again, stating that Xiao Pei had been temporarily transferred to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, suggesting that he had landed safely for now. Xiao Pei had served as the Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for nearly a decade, handling many major cases personally assigned by Xi Jinping, yet he was ultimately let off the hook.
There were also rumors circulating about Cui Peng, a member of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
On July 27, 2026, Cai Shunkun disclosed that the last direct descendant appointed by Wang Qishan to the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection, Cui Peng, had just been arrested. However, there was no official announcement regarding Cui Peng’s handling.
Cui Peng was promoted during Wang Qishan’s tenure as Beijing Mayor, and he had served as the head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Team stationed at the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference after the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
According to official statements, the sixth plenary meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection “elected” Zhao Shiyong as Vice Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, and Zhang Zhong as a member and Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China.
Public records indicate that Zhao Shiyong, born in May 1966 in Yingshan, Sichuan Province, holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy and is a senior agronomist. He has served in various positions such as Deputy Governor of Jiangsu Province, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, among others. Prior to this appointment, Zhao Shiyong was a member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, a member of the National Supervisory Commission, and the Director of the Organization Department of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.
As for Zhang Zhong, born in March 1968 in Laizhou, Shandong Province, he previously served as a Deputy Ministerial-level Commissioner of the Central Inspection Team, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Director of the Provincial Supervision Commission. Before this appointment, Zhang Zhong was a member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Director of the Provincial Supervision Commission.
It is noteworthy that the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had eight Deputy Secretaries: Liu Jinguo, Zhang Shengmin, Xiao Pei, Yu Hongqiu, Fu Kui, Sun Xinyang, Liu Xuexin, and Zhang Fuhai. The simultaneous appointment of two new Deputy Secretaries this time might confirm the removal of the two existing Deputy Secretaries. Apart from Xiao Pei, the identity of the other vacant Deputy Secretary remains unknown.