The political turmoil in Hainan Province continues as former Vice Chairman of the Hainan Provincial People’s Congress and former deputy secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Xiao Jie, is under investigation and the former member of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the CCP, Ni Qiang, has been expelled from the party and public office on charges of “unwarranted criticism of the central government.” The Hainan Provincial Committee of the CCP expressed loyalty to Beijing yesterday (February 6), amid speculations by analysts that these developments may lead to the exposure of more senior officials, including three former provincial party secretaries.
The CCP Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on February 6 the penalties imposed on four “tigers,” including Ni Qiang, for various offenses. Ni Qiang was expelled from the party and public office on charges of criticizing the central policies of the CCP, allowing his spouse to receive salary without performing actual work, among other allegations.
On the previous day (February 5), Xiao Jie, the former Vice Chairman of the Hainan Provincial People’s Congress, was reported to have been removed from office due to disciplinary violations.
According to the Hainan Daily, the expanded meeting of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the CCP was held on February 6 to address the cases of Ni Qiang and Xiao Jie, emphasizing support for the decisions of the central government.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun analyzed on social media that Ni Qiang was transferred to judicial authorities for criticizing the CCP, which essentially refers to criticizing Xi Jinping. Ni Qiang, originally from Jiangsu, entered Hainan in the 2000s on behalf of the China Ocean Shipping Company and served as the general manager and party secretary of Hainan Boao Investment Holding Co., Ltd. The company was responsible for the overall development of Boao, initially founded by Jiang Zemin’s son Jiang Mianheng’s friend Jiang Xiaosong, whose mother Bai Yang was a star admired by Jiang Zemin during his youth.
In 2008, Ni Qiang moved to the Yangpu Economic Development Zone in Hainan Province, where he held positions such as Deputy Secretary of the Working Committee, Director of the Management Bureau, and Director of the Administrative Committee. Cai Shenkun noted that this appointment was crucial and was personally approved by the then Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee, Wei Liucheng, who was a close associate of Zeng Qinghong, ultimately highlighting the influence of the Jiang family in Ni Qiang’s elevation to a leadership role in Yangpu.
After Luo Baoming became the Party Secretary of the Province, Ni Qiang was appointed as the Deputy Secretary and Mayor of Haikou in 2013. Liu Cigui, an important member of Xi Jinping’s Fujian faction, assumed the position of Party Secretary of Hainan Province, while from February 2018, Ni Qiang served as the Secretary General of the Hainan Provincial Government and Director of the General Office of the Provincial Government, as well as the Director of the Office of Sea Defense and Ports, with Shanghai’s ally Shen Xiaoming acting as the Provincial Governor at the time.
In November 2020, Shen Xiaoming was appointed as the Party Secretary of Hainan Province, and on March 23, 2021, Ni Qiang was promoted to the Deputy Governor of Hainan Province. During Ni Qiang’s tenure as Deputy Governor, Feng Fei, the current Party Secretary of the Province, was the Governor. In October 2023, Ni Qiang was elevated to a member of the Hainan Provincial Committee and concurrently served as the Secretary General of the Provincial Committee, officially becoming Feng Fei’s chief steward.
Cai Shenkun believes that Ni Qiang’s downfall just six months after being investigated could potentially impact the political futures of Shen Xiaoming and Feng Fei.
Shen Xiaoming previously held long-term positions in Shanghai, serving as a member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Pudong New Area Committee, as well as the Director of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone Management Committee. He briefly served as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education and in May 2017, became the Deputy Secretary and Governor of Hainan Province under the CCP. He was appointed as the Party Secretary of Hainan Province on December 1, 2020, and then transferred to the Party Secretary of Hunan Province in March 2023.
Xiao Jie, the former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial People’s Congress who was removed from office on February 5, was born in September 1960 in Leizhou, Guangdong. He held various positions such as Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Agriculture, Secretary of the Qionghai Municipal Committee, Director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, as well as the Director of the Department of Agriculture. In June 2012, Xiao Jie became the first Secretary and Mayor of Sansha after it became a city. He later served as a member of the Hainan Provincial Committee, holding positions such as Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Committee and Minister of the Provincial United Front Work Department. He was the Vice President of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial People’s Congress in 2021, and stepped down in 2023.
Current affairs commentator Li Linyi told the Epoch Times that Xiao Jie’s tenure as the first Secretary and Mayor of Sansha City was during the time of Luo Baoming, who was considered a close associate and trusted individual of the former CCP leader Jiang Zemin when Luo was the Party Secretary of Hainan Province. It appears that the recent downfall of high-ranking officials like Ni Qiang and Xiao Jie is indirectly linked to the Jiang faction.
However, Li Linyi also pointed out that Ni Qiang was later promoted by the current Party Secretary of the Province, Feng Fei. When Xiao Jie was the first Secretary and Mayor of Sansha, he had close interactions with Liu Cigui, who was then the Director of the State Oceanic Administration. Liu Cigui became the Party Secretary of Hainan Province in April 2017, Xiao Jie was appointed as a member of the Provincial Committee, while Liu Cigui was considered a close associate of Xi Jinping and a former subordinate from Fujian. Therefore, it is now challenging to distinguish between different factions in the official circles, as they are all essentially part of the Xi faction. The ongoing intense power struggles are partly due to the greed prevalent within the CCP, as well as conflicting behaviors towards Xi Jinping. The current comprehensive cleanup in the Hainan political arena may potentially implicate not only Feng Fei and Shen Xiaoming but also Liu Cigui.
Liu Cigui currently serves as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Director of the Committee for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs.
Luo Baoming fell from grace in July 2024 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison on December 9 last year for bribery. Official reports accused Luo Baoming of maintaining inappropriate relationships with political fraudsters for an extended period, causing significant financial losses, not providing truthful explanations, allowing personal acquaintances to interfere in important official appointments, engaging in corrupt activities, and engaging in power and money transactions.
As of now, the downfall of figures like Luo Baoming, Ni Qiang, and Xiao Jie indirectly reveals the lingering influence of the Jiang faction. Nevertheless, the recent developments and power shifts indicate that the current political landscape is largely dominated by the Xi faction, with intense struggles occurring within the Chinese Communist Party due to conflicting interests and allegiances, which could potentially have far-reaching implications for the future political trajectory in Hainan Province and beyond.