Former Director of the Central Policy Research Office, Jiang Jinquan, has recently been absent from a session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. Speculation surrounding his situation has been rampant on social media, with rumors suggesting that he has been subjected to a police raid. This development has drawn considerable public interest, especially because Jiang was a long-time subordinate of Wang Huning, a current member of the Politburo Standing Committee.
The NPC Standing Committee convened on November 2, with official reports indicating that 154 out of 175 members were present. This meeting occurs against a backdrop of significant personnel changes within the ranks of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The 14th NPC Standing Committee initially comprised 175 people. Among those who have been dismissed from their positions are former leaders such as Zhou Yaning, the previous commander of the Rocket Force; Ding Laihang, the former commander of the Air Force; and several other high-ranking officials, indicating a sweeping reshuffle. Those exiting their posts also include Li Yuefeng, former vice chairman of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, Jiang Chaoliang, ex-Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee, and Xu Dazhe, the former Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee. Other notable dismissals include Luo Qi, former chief engineer of the China National Nuclear Corporation, Liu Cangli, the former president of the China Engineering Physics Research Institute, and senior naval officers Shen Jinlong and Qin Shengxiang.
In addition to these dismissals, various officials have resigned, including Wu Zeng, who has been appointed as Deputy Minister of Justice, and Shu Wei, now serving as Deputy Director of the State Administration for Market Regulation. Former Tsinghua University president Wang Xiqin also cited personal reasons for his departure.
On November 3, Hong Kong’s Ming Pao reported that a broadcast of the Central Television News on November 2 showed Jiang Jinquan absent from the meeting. Jiang was expected to sit between NPC Standing Committee members Jiang Tianliang and Tang Weijian, but video footage confirmed his absence.
Jiang has been notably missing from other meetings, including one on August 25. The “China Personnel Observer” account, focused on personnel shifts within the CPC, previously noted that Jiang was supposed to be present during that session but failed to appear.
According to public records, Jiang Jinquan was born in September 1959 in Xishui County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province. He served as Wang Huning’s subordinate for over a decade in the Central Policy Research Office and succeeded Wang as the director in October 2020. In December 2025, Jiang was replaced as director by Tang Fangyu, previously the office’s executive deputy director. Jiang currently holds the position of NPC Standing Committee member and serves as vice chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
On May 12 of this year, the account “Zhengjing Lu Shezhang” had previously reported that Jiang was taken away by authorities but later released. Following this, on July 19, various media accounts suggested that Jiang and his family had been detained and that a raid had occurred at their home, sparking further concerns about his situation.
Analyst Cai Shenkun expressed on social media on July 22 that Jiang Jinquan, who has never held a prominent official position, has merely contributed to the ideologies of Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao. The fact that he experienced a raid rather than just questioning suggests increasingly bizarre power struggles at higher levels of government. Questions linger over whether Jiang was involved in inappropriate secret activities and what implications his situation may have for Wang Huning—issues that are certainly worth watching closely in the unfolding political landscape.