On January 23, 2026, the opening ceremony of a seminar for provincial and ministerial-level officials was held by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities. Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, was notably absent, sparking rumors of trouble. Speculations circulated that Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong mobilized the Special Security Bureau to arrest military personnel. Of particular interest is the fact that just before Zhang Youxia’s unusual absence from the event, there was a change in the Political Commissar of the Special Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.
Several high-ranking officials, including Zhang Youxia, Minister of Organization Shi Taifeng, and Military Commission member Liu Zhenli, were conspicuously absent from the seminar, leading to public scrutiny, especially concerning rumors circulating about Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.
Political commentator Cai Shenkun posted on social media platform X on January 22, suggesting increasing and even chilling rumors about Zhang Youxia being apprehended. Initially, there were reports that the Special Security Bureau under Wang Xiaohong arrested military personnel, with subsequent claims stating that a military figure named Zhong Shaomun was re-arrested, with a total of 17 people detained. As the credibility of the sources remains unverified, further observations were suggested to see if Zhang Youxia would appear at the New Year gathering.
Later that day, Cai Shenkun further claimed, “The latest information confirms that Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli, and Zhong Shaomun were all arrested, along with all of Zhang Youxia’s family members. This information has been communicated to senior CCP officials. In addition to missing the seminar on implementing the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP for provincial and ministerial-level leaders, Zhang Youxia was also absent from the annual activities of the National Defense University. Furthermore, in a more significant development, former Vice Chief of the General Staff, Wei Fulin, passed away, and the wreath sent by Zhang Youxia was reportedly removed unexpectedly.”
Currently, reports of Zhang Youxia’s arrest and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong deploying the Special Security Bureau to apprehend military personnel remain unconfirmed. The speculations surrounding Zhang Youxia’s troubles have been circulating and escalating for two days, with no official “debunking” actions taken by the CCP authorities.
Interestingly, just before the unusual absence of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the seminar for provincial and ministerial-level officials, a change was made to the Political Commissar of the Special Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security in the CCP.
According to state media in Shaanxi, on January 18, 2026, the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Congress held a plenary meeting appointing Yu Ping as the Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department, relieving Dai Binbin of his duties as the Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department. On the same day, the Shaanxi provincial government appointed Yu Ping as the Inspector General of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department.
Currently, the official website of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department shows that Yu Ping serves as the Secretary of the Party Committee, Director, and Inspector General of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department, as well as the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee’s Politics and Law Commission.
Prior to his current position, Yu Ping served as the Political Commissar of the Special Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security in the CCP. Born in October 1969, his detailed resume remains undisclosed. Publicly available information shows that Yu Ping previously held positions such as the Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Director of the Political Department of the Public Security Border Defense Headquarters in Heilongjiang Province; and in May 2024, he appeared publicly as the Political Commissar of the Special Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.
According to public records, the functions of the CCP Central Guard Bureau include safeguarding the personal safety of the country’s senior leaders and military commanders. On the other hand, the Special Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security is responsible for the protection of Vice State-level high-ranking officials, including Vice Chairmen of the National People’s Congress, Vice Premiers and State Councilors, Vice Chairmen of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Presidents of the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, as well as foreign dignitaries visiting China. The guarded units include the institutions of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the State Council, various ministries, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission, the Supreme People’s Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
Established as one of the bureau-level organizations within the Ministry of Public Security in July 2019, the Special Security Bureau had its structure reformed, with the then Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Deputy Minister Wang Xiaohong concurrently serving as its first Director. In July 2023, Deputy Minister of Public Security Wang Zhizhong succeeded Wang Xiaohong, assuming the role of the second Director of the Special Security Bureau.
Wang Zhizhong, born in October 1965 in Cang County, Hebei Province, had a long tenure in the Guard Corps of the Ministry of Public Security, holding various positions such as Staff Officer of the Guard Corps Office, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Guard Corps, Deputy Director of the Office, Director of the Office, and Deputy Director-General. In 2019, he became the Deputy Director and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Special Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, serving as the deputy to the then Director Wang Xiaohong.
In April 2021, Wang Zhizhong was transferred to Guangdong Province as Deputy Governor and Director of the Public Security Department. Then, in June 2023, he returned to Beijing as a member of the Party Committee and Deputy Minister of Public Security, also taking on the roles of Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Special Security Bureau.
In July 2025, Ling Zhifeng, a member of the Party Committee and Director of the Political Department of the Ministry of Public Security, was promoted to Deputy Minister of Public Security and concurrently appointed Director of the Special Security Bureau. Additionally, Deputy Minister of Public Security Wang Zhizhong was assigned the position of Director of the National Immigration Administration.
Born in November 1968 in Fuyang, Zhejiang Province, Ling Zhifeng previously served in various capacities in Zhejiang, including as Director of the Shaoxing Public Security Bureau, Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Director of the Emergency Management Department of Zhejiang Province, and Secretary of the Jinhua Municipal Party Committee. In July 2022, he was promoted across provinces to serve as Deputy Governor and Director of the Public Security Department of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; then, in March 2023, he assumed the position of Director of the Political Department of the Ministry of Public Security.
Following his transfer to the position of Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department, the current successor to the position of Political Commissar of the Special Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security in the CCP has not been publicly disclosed.