On August 29, 2026, Kong Shaoxun, Deputy Director of the Central Committee Office, made a public appearance in Gansu Province as the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Government Party Committee, indicating that he is set to become the new Governor of Gansu Province. The whereabouts of the current Governor of Gansu, Ren Zhenhe, remain unknown. On August 28, Ren Zhenhe and the Deputy Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee, Shi Moujun, were notably absent from a meeting of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee.
Both of Ren Zhenhe’s deputies, Gansu’s Executive Vice Governor Cheng Xiaobo and Vice Governor Lei Siwei, have fallen from grace in the past five months. Speculations have arisen on social media about Ren Zhenhe possibly being transferred to the position of Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee or under investigation. There are also reports from self-media sources alleging that Shi Moujun is involved in a corruption case in his home province of Hunan.
According to the official website of the Gansu Provincial Government of the Communist Party of China on August 29, Kong Shaoxun, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Government Party Committee, presided over an expanded meeting of the provincial government party committee. This indicates Kong Shaoxun’s new role as the Deputy Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Provincial Government Party Committee, with the customary promotion to the position of Governor of Gansu Province, elevating him to the rank of a department-level official.
Official announcements regarding the career path of Gansu Governor Ren Zhenhe are currently awaited.
According to reports from the official website of the Gansu Provincial Government, Ren Zhenhe had several public engagements on August 27, 2026, including hosting a thematic meeting at the Gansu Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department, conducting research at the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and coordinating flood prevention work at the Provincial Government Emergency Command Center. However, he was absent from the high-level meeting of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee on August 28.
In the morning of August 28, Gansu Provincial Party Secretary Hu Changsheng presided over the provincial party’s Leadership Small Group on Party Building. Gansu provincial leaders including Zhuang Guotai, Lei Dongsheng, Liu Changgen, Zhang Yongxia, Zhang Xiaoqiang, Jin Guowei, Liu Jianwei, and Wang Bing attended the meeting.
On the morning of August 28, Hu Changsheng, the Party Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee, also chaired the 7th special study session (expanded) of the Provincial Party’s Theory Learning Center Group in 2026. Gansu provincial leaders Zhuang Guotai, Liu Changgen, Zhang Yongxia, Jin Guowei, and Liu Jianwei were in attendance, while Lei Dongsheng, Zhang Xiaoqiang, and Wang Bing participated and made written exchanges.
According to the official website information, the current members of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China include: Party Secretary Hu Changsheng, Deputy Secretary and Governor Ren Zhenhe, Deputy Secretary Shi Moujun, Standing Committee members Lei Dongsheng, Sun Xuetao, Liu Changgen, Zhang Yongxia, Zhang Xiaoqiang, Jin Guowei, Liu Jianwei, and Wang Bing; totaling 11 individuals.
Among them, Deputy Secretary and Governor Ren Zhenhe, Deputy Secretary Shi Moujun, and Standing Committee member and Minister of the United Front Work Department Sun Xuetao were all notably absent from the two collective meetings of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee on August 28; the reasons behind their absence remain unclear. There were no reports of their public activities on August 28.
Additionally, Ren Zhenhe and Shi Moujun had participated in several previous meetings of the Gansu Provincial Party’s Leadership Small Group on Party Building and the Provincial Party’s Theory Learning Center Group.
It is worth noting that there have been continuous rumors on social media recently regarding Ren Zhenhe’s promotion and being under investigation.
Account X posted on August 19, 2026, claiming, “Gansu Governor Ren Zhenhe has been dismissed, with two possibilities: transferring to Yunnan to take over as the Yunnan Party Secretary held by Wang Ning or waiting to be investigated by the National People’s Congress.”
Commentator Jiang Wangzheng exposed on August 28, 2026, that Gansu Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Governor Ren Zhenhe is expected to be promoted to Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee; however, it was later rumored that Ren Zhenhe was under investigation (questioning stage).
Account X, under the name “Official Government Posts,” leaked on August 28, 2026, that the 20th Central Committee member, Gansu Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, head of the Provincial Party’s Financial Committee, Governor, and Party Secretary Ren Zhenhe, is suspected of serious violations and is under investigation.
Five months earlier, in March 2026, Jiang Wangzheng had previously revealed that Ren Zhenhe was set to become the Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee.
Commentator Cai Shengkun posted on June 2, 2026, stating, “Reliable news: 62-year-old Ren Zhenhe is being transferred from Gansu to Yunnan to take over as the Provincial Party Secretary.”
According to publicly available information, Ren Zhenhe, born in February 1964, of the Tujia nationality, is a native of Hefeng County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province. He has served in various positions including Vice Governor of Enshi Prefecture, Deputy Secretary of the Prefecture Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Huanggang City Party Committee, Mayor and Secretary of the City Party Committee of Xianning City, Vice Governor of Hubei Province, Standing Committee member of the Provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Xiangyang City Party Committee.
In February 2017, he was transferred to Zhejiang Province as a Standing Committee member and Minister of the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee; in May 2018, he was appointed as a Standing Committee member and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Provincial Party Committee; in July 2019, he became the Deputy Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee; and in December 2020, he was appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Governor.
According to the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission, in August 2026, Gansu Provincial Standing Committee member and Executive Vice Governor Cheng Xiaobo voluntarily surrendered and accepted an investigation.
Cheng Xiaobo had a lengthy tenure at the National Development and Reform Commission of the Communist Party of China, starting as the Vice Governor of Gansu Province in April 2020, serving as Ren Zhenhe’s deputy for over five years.
On March 17, 2026, Gansu Provincial Standing Committee member and Deputy Governor Lei Siwei fell from power. Lei Siwei was promoted to Deputy Governor of Gansu Province in January 2023 and served as Ren Zhenhe’s deputy for over three years.
It remains uncertain whether Cheng Xiaobo and Lei Siwei’s downfall will implicate Ren Zhenhe.
According to reports from the Gansu Provincial Government website on August 27, 2026, on August 21, Gansu Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, leader of the Provincial Party Committee’s Educational Work, and Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee’s Education Working Committee, Shi Moujun, provided guidance on the reopening of universities across the province. However, the detailing of specific meetings and public appearances by Shi Moujun was not reported.
The last public activity report about Shi Moujun on the Gansu Provincial Government website dates back to early July 2026. The 32nd Lanzhou Fair Zhangye City Investment Attraction Promotion Conference was held in Lanzhou on July 8, where Gansu Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Shi Moujun and other officials were in attendance.
On August 23, 2026, commentator Jiang Wangzheng leaked that Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, Du Jiahao’s close aide and current Gansu Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Shi Moujun, was under investigation due to his involvement in a case in Hunan.
According to public resumes, Shi Moujun was born in February 1968, of the Miao nationality, from Yuanling County, Huaihua City, Hunan. He has held various positions in Hunan, including Deputy Director of the General Research Office of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee Office, Director of the Comprehensive Division of the Policy Research Office of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Mayor of Changde City, Standing Committee member of the Changde City Party Committee, Secretary of the Organization Department, and United Front Department.
During Xu Shousheng’s tenure as Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee and Du Jiahao as Governor of Hunan, Shi Moujun was promoted to Director of the Hunan Provincial Government Research Office in July 2013, Deputy Secretary and Director of the Research Office of the Hunan Provincial Government in February 2014, Deputy Secretary, Director of the General Office, and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Hunan Provincial Government in December 2014, serving as Du Jiahao’s chief of staff.
In February 2017, Shi Moujun was promoted to Vice Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region Government; in July 2020, he was honored as a Standing Committee member and Secretary of the Secretariat of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee; in July 2021, he became Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Government Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor; in January 2022, he became Secretary of the Organization Department of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee; and in December 2023, he was promoted to Deputy Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee.