In recent years, during the annual sessions of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) two major conferences, CCP leader Xi Jinping has traditionally joined the Jiangsu delegation for deliberations. However, the number of accompanying national-level officials has been decreasing year by year, with only Cai Qi remaining by his side this year.
According to the CCP’s official media Xinhua News Agency, on the afternoon of March 5, 2026, CCP leader Xi Jinping attended the deliberations of the Jiangsu delegation at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress. Cai Qi, a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee and head of the CCP Central Committee’s General Office, also participated.
Public reports indicate that since the 20th National Congress of the CCP, Xi Jinping has consistently attended the Jiangsu delegation for deliberations during the two sessions each year from 2023 onwards.
On March 5, 2023, Xi participated in the deliberations with the Jiangsu delegation, accompanied by Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, member of the Politburo, and Vice Premier of the State Council, He Lifeng.
On March 5, 2024, Xi attended the deliberations with the Jiangsu delegation, accompanied by Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Executive Vice Director of the Deep Reform Office of the CCP Central Committee, Mu Hong, and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of CPPCC and Executive Deputy Minister of the Organization Department of the CCP Central Committee, Jiang Xinzhi.
On March 5, 2025, Xi participated in the deliberations with the Jiangsu delegation, accompanied by Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Executive Vice Director of the Deep Reform Office of the CCP Central Committee, Mu Hong.
With each passing year at the two sessions, the level of high-ranking officials accompanying Xi Jinping on the Jiangsu delegation has been decreasing, reflecting the rumors of Xi’s waning influence in recent years.
Since the Third Plenary Session in mid-July 2024, there has been a flurry of rumors about Xi Jinping losing power as key members of the “Fujian Gang” of Xi’s loyalists, such as Miao Hua and He Weidong, including prominent military figures, were investigated and removed.
Around the time of the Fourth Plenum in October 2025, several top officials closely associated with Xi Jinping’s inner circle, including Deputy Chief Executive of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Chen Weijun, and Secretary of the Xi’an Municipal Party Committee, Fang Hongwei, were successively investigated and removed. Rumors of troubles continued even after the dismissal of Ma Xingrui, a military background official and Politburo member, from his position as Party Secretary of Xinjiang in July 2025.
In January 2026, there was another sudden change in the CCP political landscape, as Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, and Commission Member, Liu Zhenli, were announced to have fallen from grace. However, their positions as national delegates of the National People’s Congress have not been publicly revoked to date. Despite their removal from office, there has been no official statement from various agencies within the CCP Central Military Commission, regional commands, and branches affirming loyalty and support to the Party’s decisions as of now.