【Epoch Times December 29, 2025】After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the power struggle has escalated, and the internal power struggle within the Xi family army has been closely watched. The Fujian Gang represented by Cai Qi is accused of coveting the highest position in the Communist Party of China. Cai Erjin, the son of Cai Qi, took up a new position recently.
With Xi Jinping’s third term more than halfway through, the Chinese political situation is said to have entered a paradoxical period. Independent commentator Du Zheng published an article titled “Fujian Gang Coveting the Highest Position in the Communist Party of China” in the Taiwan media “Shang Bao” on December 29, expressing that the officials group cultivated by Xi Jinping over the years has been divided into various factions such as the Fujian gang, Zhejiang gang, Shaanxi gang, etc. recently, the Fujian gang in the military led by He Weidong and Miao Hua has been suppressed by the Shaanxi gang led by Zhang Youxia, but the Fujian gang within the party and government system still controls the government and shows signs of coveting the highest position.
The article mentioned that on November 7, during Xi Jinping’s inspection in Guangdong, photos released by the Communist Party media showed several high-ranking members of the Fujian gang from the party and government system rarely seen together in one frame. The senior officials accompanying Xi included several members of the Fujian gang, including the current Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, the Guangdong Party Secretary Huang Kunming, Vice Premier He Lifeng, and NDRC Director Zheng Zhajie, affirming the important position of the Fujian gang in the current regime.
In addition to the influential members of the Fujian gang, there are also Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, Huang Jianfa, vice minister in charge of daily work at the Organization Department, Pei Jinjia, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Zhuang Rongwen, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, Lin Wu, party secretary of Shanxi Province, Pan Xianzhang, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, Ye Jianchun, governor of Jiangxi Province, Xu Kunlin, governor of Jiangsu Province, Zheng Xincong, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau, Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, among others.
Former Minister of the Organization Department Chen Xi is currently the president of the Central Party School, and he is from Putian, Fujian. On September 27, 2024, Shen Danyang, deputy party secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, was appointed director of the State Council Research Office and became Premier Li Keqiang’s chief adviser. Shen Danyang is from Zhangzhou, Fujian.
Furthermore, Cai Qi’s son has been secretly deployed to the NDRC.
According to Hong Kong-based newspaper “South China Morning Post” on May 6 this year, it was reported that a child of a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China had joined an economic department as a deputy director, responsible for the daily management of that department. The report did not mention which member’s child this was. However, in December 2024, social media influencer Yin Ke, living in Australia, revealed on X platform that Cai Erjin is the son of Cai Qi, serving as deputy director of the Infrastructure Development Department of the NDRC, responsible for overseeing the work of the office leading the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
Previously, Chinese media reported that on the afternoon of February 21, 2019, Zhang Bin, director of the Economic Security Division of the NDRC, took subordinates to visit the Baotou Rare Earth Products Exchange. One of his subordinates was Cai Erjin, a research fellow in the Economic Security Division.
According to Du Zheng, the latest news in 2025 shows that Cai Erjin has been transferred to the newly established Low Altitude Economic Development Division of the NDRC as deputy director at the end of 2024, and he had previously visited the low altitude artificial intelligence enterprise “Cloud Saint Intelligence” in Beijing.
Epoch Times reporters found pictures and information on the official website of “Cloud Saint Intelligence” showing Cai Erjin being transferred to the new Low Altitude Economic Development Division of the NDRC as deputy director and visiting “Cloud Saint Intelligence.” The news did not mention the specific date of Cai Erjin’s visit, but “Cloud Saint Intelligence” was only established at the end of 2024. This is also the first exposure of photos of Cai Erjin.
Du Zheng pointed out that Cai Erjin has quickly moved through various departments of the NDRC, not only taking advantage of the situation but also becoming an informer for Cai Qi within Li Keqiang’s territory. More importantly, this intentional arrangement of experience in multiple departments paves the way for his promotion to deputy director of the NDRC and eventually taking over the NDRC.
In addition, in November this year, Liu Hongjian, born in 1974, was promoted from member of the standing committee of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee and party secretary of Kunming City to deputy secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, attracting attention.
Liu Hongjian is from Fuding, Fujian, graduated from Fujian Normal University with a major in biology, and worked in Fujian Province for a long time, serving as mayor of Nanping City. In July 2020, Liu Hongjian was promoted across provinces to deputy governor of Yunnan Province, and a year later, became a member of the standing committee of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, party secretary of the political and legal committee, and in December 2021, he became a member of the standing committee of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, party secretary of Kunming City, and party committee secretary of the Dianzhong New Area. This is his latest promotion.
Du Zheng commented that what is most noteworthy about Liu Hongjian is that in October 2022, he was named one of the five “political rising stars” of the Communist Party of China in an article in The Wall Street Journal, and was considered a potential successor to Xi Jinping and the future highest leader. The other four people named alongside Liu Hongjian include Yin Yong (born in August 1969), Zhong Shaojun (born in October 1968), Zhu Ge Yujie (born in May 1971), and Guo Ningning (born in July 1970).
Du Zheng believes that Liu Hongjian’s recent promotion easily prompts people to associate him with the so-called successor to Xi. However, as with Zhong Shaojun, who was recently in trouble after being named by The Wall Street Journal, it indicates that the young high-ranking officials marked as successors may be suspected by Xi and become targets for political rivals.
In the article, Du Zheng concludes that as a dictator, Xi Jinping certainly wants to hold power for life. But as the saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes.” With China’s economy declining and the political crisis deepening, the conditions for a regime change in Zhongnanhai have already emerged, including the emergence of a power struggle for the highest authority. Before and after the 21st National Congress of the Communist Party, it is a crucial period of various forces openly or discreetly positioning themselves to vie for power in the “post-Xi era.” After a hundred years, the time of the Chinese Communist Party is running out, and this leaking ship will not be able to withstand further turmoil.