The Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Fifth Plenary Session is in full swing, with a fierce battle for key positions in play. On September 4th, Zhu Zhongming was appointed as the Deputy Mayor and Acting Mayor of Shanghai, while Gong Zheng has resigned from his position as Mayor of Shanghai with his whereabouts currently unknown. Prior to this, on September 2nd, Kong Shaoxun was appointed as the Acting Governor of Gansu Province, as Ren Zhenhe stepped down from the role of Governor of Gansu Province.
According to reports from Shanghai, on September 4th, the Standing Committee of the 16th Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress of the Chinese Communist Party decided to “accept Gong Zheng’s request to resign from the position of Mayor of Shanghai,” with Zhu Zhongming being appointed as the Deputy Mayor and Acting Mayor of Shanghai.
As per tradition, Zhu Zhongming is expected to officially assume the role of Mayor of Shanghai in the near future. He has previously served as the Secretary of the Party Group of the Shanghai Municipal Government.
Public records indicate that Zhu Zhongming, 54 years old, hails from Haining, Zhejiang. He has held various positions such as Secretary of the Party Group and Director of the Finance Department of Zhejiang Province, Vice Governor of Hunan Province, Deputy Minister of Finance, and was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee in July 2024, subsequently also taking on the role of Secretary of Politics and Law Commission before his recent promotion.
Zhu Zhongming is not a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, nor a member of the Central Committee’s alternate members. This promotion represents a deviation from the norm.
According to a report from Hong Kong’s “Ming Pao,” Zhu Zhongming’s rapid rise can be attributed to his connection with the Zhejiang faction, particularly with the support of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Zhu Zhongming had interactions with Li Keqiang during his tenure in Zhejiang, where Li Keqiang served as the Governor from 2013 to 2016.
In a post on X platform, independent commentator Cai Shenkun mentioned that Li Keqiang’s “little brother” Zhu Zhongming has officially replaced Gong Zheng, taking over as the Acting Mayor of Shanghai, potentially securing a spot in the upcoming Central Committee of the 21st Chinese Communist Party Congress.
Shanghai’s Mayor Gong Zheng has reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 for officials at the department level. The official statement did not mention any further appointment or assignment for him.
Gong Zheng, born in 1960 in Suzhou, Jiangsu, was a member of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. He had previously held positions such as member of the Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, Secretary of the Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Shandong Province. He was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee on March 19, 2020, and later became the Mayor of Shanghai on July 21 of the same year.
There are reports indicating that Gong Zheng is the brother-in-law of former Vice Premier Liu He.
Apart from Shanghai, recent personnel changes in Gansu Province have also captured public attention.
On August 29th, Kong Shaoxun, Vice Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Government Party Committee, chaired an expanded meeting of the provincial government’s party committee. It was announced that Kong Shaoxun had been appointed as the Vice Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Government Party Committee.
On September 2nd, the Standing Committee of the 14th Gansu Provincial People’s Congress declared that Kong Shaoxun would act as the Governor of Gansu Province, while accepting Ren Zhenhe’s request to step down from the position of Governor of Gansu Province due to work-related changes.
Following the usual practice, Kong Shaoxun is expected to succeed Ren Zhenhe as the Governor of Gansu Province.
Regarding Ren Zhenhe’s resignation, the official statement cited “work-related changes” without mentioning any other assignments.
Kong Shaoxun is not a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, nor an alternate member of the Central Committee. This unconventional promotion has garnered attention. Cai Shenkun mentioned on X platform that Kong Shaoxun’s sudden transfer to Gansu marks his formal promotion to a high-ranking provincial official, potentially securing a position in the Central Committee of the 21st Congress.
Kong Shaoxun, 57 years old, is from Zhining, Ningxia, and began his career in Ningxia’s government. In December 2009, he served as the Deputy Commander of the Shanghai World Expo 600-Day Action City Management Command, assisting in the preparation for the Shanghai World Expo. At that time, Ding Xuxiang was serving as a Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee. In December 2010, Kong Shaoxun was reassigned to the General Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, holding positions under various directors such as Ling Jihua, Li Zhanshu, Ding Xuxiang, and Cai Qi. During Ding Xuxiang’s tenure as Director of the General Office, Kong Shaoxun made his first appearance on April 14, 2022, as the Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the General Office.
During the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Kong Shaoxun was involved in the removal of former party leader Hu Jintao from the meeting, which sparked intense speculation about internal power struggles within the party.