On July 17-19, 2026, four individuals in China passed away unexpectedly. Among them were Shen Desheng, 56 years old, the Communist Party Secretary of Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province; Zhang Jicheng, a 50-year-old associate professor at the Faculty of Law of South China University of Technology; Miao Xingwei, 58 years old, the Dean of the School of Foreign Languages and Literature at Beijing Normal University; and Ma Shanshu, a 52-year-old music producer. This unfortunate series of sudden deaths adds to the growing concern as nearly 20 middle-aged and young professors and executives have passed away in mainland China since June 2026.
South China University of Technology’s Faculty of Law announced on July 18, 2026, the passing of associate professor and master’s supervisor Zhang Jicheng due to a sudden heart attack. Zhang, born in August 1976 in Liling, Hunan, had an impressive academic background, holding a Ph.D. in Law from Wuhan University. He joined South China University of Technology in July 2008 as an associate professor and head of the law department. Apart from his academic responsibilities, Zhang had served as an independent director for Kangzhi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Golden Hair Technology Co., Ltd., among other roles in various committees and associations related to law.
On July 19, 2026, Beijing Normal University’s School of Foreign Languages and Literature mourned the loss of Miao Xingwei, a Communist Party member who served as the dean of the School. Miao, who was a professor and doctoral supervisor, passed away in Beijing at the age of 58 due to an incurable illness. The sudden nature of Miao’s death left colleagues and acquaintances in shock, as one staff member at the School shared.
Miao Xingwei, born in December 1967 in Yiyuan, Shandong, had a notable academic journey, including obtaining a Master’s degree from Beijing Foreign Studies University and a Ph.D. from Fudan University. He taught at various institutions before joining Beijing Normal University in 2010.
Additionally, Shen Desheng, the Communist Party Secretary of Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province, passed away on July 17, 2026, at the age of 56. Shen had previously held several significant roles within the government and party in Jilin City.
In another tragic incident, Ma Shanshu, a music producer in China, suffered from an acute heart attack and passed away on July 19, 2026, at the age of 52.
On July 14, 2026, Cao Haibin, a martial arts coach at the Yangfengang Martial Arts Association in Bazhou City, Hebei Province, also succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 57.
This recent string of unexpected deaths follows a worrying trend that has seen over ten young and middle-aged professors and corporate executives in China passing away from various health issues between June and early July 2026. The list includes prominent figures like Professor Sun Fanglin, Dean of the School of Translational Medicine at Tongji University, and Liao Ke, an independent director at Hongta Securities Co., Ltd., among others.
Amidst the increase in sudden deaths among middle-aged individuals, there has been a significant rise in COVID-19 infections in China. Official data from the Communist Party indicates a sharp increase in confirmed cases in June 2026, with over 79,000 new cases, almost 70% more than the total from January to May. Concerns have been raised about the accuracy of the official COVID-19 data, given previous instances of the Chinese government withholding information during the pandemic.