In recent weeks, a series of investigations have unfolded in Zhejiang Province, targeting officials including Wang Renzhou, former vice mayor of Ningbo City; Chen Jiefeng, chairman of the Cixi Municipal Political Consultative Conference; and Shi Jianfan, former director of the Cixi Municipal Land and Resources Bureau. Cixi, Ningbo is the hometown of Han Zheng, former member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee and current Vice President of China.
On April 22, 2026, the Zhejiang Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision announced on its website that Chen Jiefeng, party secretary and chairman of the Cixi Political Consultative Conference, is under investigation for serious disciplinary and legal violations and is currently being investigated by the Ningbo Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.
Chen Jiefeng, born in July 1968 in Cixi, Zhejiang, has held various positions within the Communist Party of China, including deputy secretary of the Fan Market Town Party Committee in Cixi, town mayor, secretary of the Xiaolin Town Party Committee, director and party secretary of the Cixi City Construction Bureau, party secretary of the City Construction Group Limited Company, director of the Old City Reconstruction Office, party committee secretary of the Old City Reconstruction Office, among others.
Reports suggest that during his tenure overseeing urban development in Cixi, Chen Jiefeng had significant influence, from demolition and construction projects to land acquisition and compensation standards, all under his purview. Even in supervisory roles, his former subordinates were strategically placed around him, showcasing a network of relationships built over his decades-long career within the local government.
Furthermore, it was reported that Shi Jianfan, born in September 1965 in Cixi, Zhejiang, has a background in various governmental roles, including party committee secretary of the Cixi Public Security Bureau, deputy director and party committee member of the City Public Security Bureau, mayor and party committee secretary of the Andong Town in Cixi, director and party committee secretary of the Cixi City Land and Resources Bureau, among other positions.
Ningbo has seen a string of officials facing investigation recently, including Wang Renzhou, former deputy mayor of Ningbo City, who turned himself in on April 17, 2026. His career in Ningbo included roles such as director of the Development and Reform Commission, member of the party committee and secretary-general of the Ningbo Municipal Government Office, and deputy mayor.
In addition to Chen Jiefeng and Shi Jianfan, other officials in Ningbo who have fallen from grace include Xu Zhenmin, party committee secretary and director of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress, who was investigated in August 2025; Zhang Fulin, party committee member and deputy general manager of the Rail Transit Group, investigated in July 2025; Gu Guofang, former party committee secretary and director of the Zhenhai District People’s Congress, investigated in July 2025; Chen Zhaohua, former chairman of the Beilun District Political Consultative Conference, investigated in June 2025; Liu Deying, former party committee member and first-level researcher, investigated in March 2025; Yang Wei, party committee secretary and chairman of the Rail Transit Group, investigated in April 2025; Hu Zuyou, former chairman of the Zhenhai District Political Consultative Conference and first-level inspector, investigated in February 2025; Zhang Zhaojun, former party committee secretary and director of the Business Bureau in Beilun District, investigated in February 2025, among others.
Moreover, Renmin, who was on the Ningbo City Government team and previously served in Ningbo and Zhejiang, is among the officials under investigation. In May 2021, he was transferred to the Communist Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from his position as a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of Zhejiang Province and secretary of the Wenzhou Municipal Party Committee. Additionally, Chen Weijun, who fell from grace in November 2025, previously held various roles in Ningbo City and the Zhejiang government, serving as a standing committee member of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, deputy governor of the autonomous region.
Ningbo, known as the “Little Shanghai” for its deep historical and cultural ties to Shanghai, both cities share a significant political connection. Notably, both Chen Liangyu, a former Politburo Standing Committee member, and Han Zheng, the current Vice President of China, have familial ties to Ningbo. Han Zheng has a history of exchanging visits and interactions with Ningbo officials during his time as mayor and party secretary of Shanghai.
Throughout the investigation, exchanges and meetings between Han Zheng and Ningbo officials were highlighted, demonstrating the close relations between the two regions.