On September 2, 2026, Jiangxi Province’s former chief of the transport department’s disciplinary inspection group, Lan Lihong, was investigated, following the downfall of her deputy Wang Yongcheng two and a half years ago, and her former leader, Wang Ai, who was investigated ten months prior. Lan Lihong had served for twenty years in the 14th Division of the South Nanjing Military Region Air Force, where she held the position of deputy division commander. Her previous superiors, Air Force Generals Yu Zhongfu and Xu Xueqiang, were dismissed from their positions as National People’s Congress deputies in the past year.
According to public records, Lan Lihong, born in September 1965 in Guangdong, graduated from the third flight academy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Air Force. She held various positions in the Air Force, transitioning to roles within the transport department in Jiangxi province until her recent investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
Lan Lihong’s career trajectory included roles at the Jiangxi Geological Exploration Bureau and various positions within the Jiangxi discipline inspection and supervisory group. Wang Ai, born in October 1963 in Anhui, served as the secretary of the disciplinary committee in the transportation department alongside Lan Lihong. His involvement in the department ended early last year after an investigation by the provincial discipline committee.
Wang Yongcheng, Lan Lihong’s former deputy, was also implicated and fell from grace in February 2024. Born in July 1965 in Jiangxi, Wang Yongcheng had a career spanning various departments within the provincial government, including roles in the public security bureau and CCP discipline inspection units. The scrutiny within the transportation department increased in April 2026 when the Jiangxi Provincial Committee launched an inspection initiative.
Lan Lihong’s military service record showed her time in the 49th Division of the Air Force before transferring to the 14th Division based in Jiangxi. The 14th Division, stationed at the Xiangtang Airport in Nanchang, was under the supervision of the Nanjing Military Region and was responsible for defense duties along the southeastern coast. The recent investigations and dismissals within the former Nanjing Military Region have seen several high-ranking officers, including Lan Lihong’s ex-superiors, facing allegations of serious violations of discipline and law.
The purge within the Chinese military has seen a significant number of senior officials from the Nanjing Military Region facing repercussions. Generals like Yu Zhongfu and Xu Xueqiang, who were once Lan Lihong’s leaders during her time in the Air Force, were also removed from their positions as National People’s Congress deputies due to their alleged misconduct. Yu Zhongfu served as the deputy director of the political department of the Nanjing Military Region’s Air Force before his tenure in the Shanghai Air Force Command from 2006 to 2010. Xu Xueqiang had leadership roles within the Air Force and was stationed at the Shanghai Air Force Command and Base before his removal in late 2013.