Amid the escalation of the trade war between China and the United States, there has been a change in leadership in the Chinese Communist Party. Wang Shouwen, former Deputy Minister of Commerce and International Trade Negotiator, has been reassigned to a position in the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. Analysts believe that Wang Shouwen is being made a scapegoat in this reassignment, signaling a demotion.
The website of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce reported on April 30th that a study class on learning the “Eight Central Regulations” was recently held, with speeches given by Gao Yunlong, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and Shen Ying, Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee and Party Secretary of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. It was mentioned that Wang Shouwen, along with several other members of the leadership team, attended and spoke at the event.
This news indicates that Wang Shouwen, former Deputy Secretary of the Party Group and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, as well as the International Trade Negotiator (at the ministerial level), has made his first public appearance following his transfer to the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. However, as of May 1st, Wang Shouwen’s photo and work information have not been posted on the official website of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce under the “Leadership” section.
On April 16th, the State Council of the Chinese Communist Party appointed Li Chenggang, former Chinese Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO), to replace Wang Shouwen as the Ministerial-level International Trade Negotiator and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Commerce.
Wang Shouwen, 59 years old this year (born in March 1966 in Xuancheng, Anhui Province), last appeared publicly on March 22nd in Beijing when he met with Lim Boon Heng, Chairman of Temasek Holdings, a sovereign wealth fund of Singapore.
Earlier in his career, Wang Shouwen held positions in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the Ministry of Commerce, which was newly established by the Chinese Communist Party in 2003. Since August 2013, he served as a member of the Party Group of the Ministry of Commerce, Assistant Minister of Commerce, and Deputy Minister. In January 2018, Wang Shouwen also took on the role of the Deputy International Trade Negotiator at the Ministry of Commerce, and in 2022, he became the Deputy Secretary of the Party Group of the Ministry of Commerce, as well as the International Trade Negotiator (at the ministerial level) and Deputy Minister.
Since the beginning of the trade war between China and the United States in 2018, Wang Shouwen has been actively involved in negotiations as the Deputy International Trade Negotiator and Representative, leading delegations to the United States to discuss economic and trade issues.
The adjustment of the position of the International Trade Negotiator by the Chinese Communist Party comes at a critical moment in the ongoing trade war between China and the United States. Following President Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariff policies on April 2nd, over 75 countries have reached out to Washington to explore new trade agreements, with China being the only country openly retaliating. After two rounds of retaliatory tariffs, the United States has imposed tariffs of 145% on most Chinese imports, while China has imposed tariffs of 125% on most American imports.
At this crucial moment in the economic and trade negotiations between China and the United States, the reassignment of Wang Shouwen, a member of the 20th Central Committee, to the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce has attracted attention. According to reports from Caixin, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, established in 1953, serves a purpose of united front work. It consists of one chairman, one party secretary, and up to 23 vice chairmen.
Commentator Li Lin told Epoch Times that Wang Shouwen’s reassignment clearly indicates a demotion, which may be related to power struggles within the top echelons of the Chinese Communist Party. For instance, Wang Shouwen was previously a subordinate of Liu He, the former Vice Premier of China who was in charge of negotiations with the U.S. Liu He’s son has recently been reported to be under investigation.
China expert Wang He previously told Epoch Times that the sudden change in personnel may be the Chinese authorities’ way of finding a scapegoat for the current mess, which led to Wang’s removal from his previous position.