Before the 5th Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), there have been intense personnel changes at the local level. Following the reshuffling of party secretaries in Tibet, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces, on September 23, the party secretaries of Anhui, Fujian, and Henan provinces were also replaced. Li Lecheng has been appointed as the party secretary of Anhui province, replacing Liang Yanshun, while Zhou Zuyi has been appointed as the party secretary of Henan province, replacing Liu Ning. Meanwhile, Zhao Long has been appointed as the party secretary of Fujian province.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency on September 23, Li Lecheng, a 61-year-old from Hubei, and a member of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, has taken over as the party secretary of Anhui province. Liang Yanshun, also a member of the 20th Central Committee, has stepped down from his position in Anhui. Zhou Zuyi, a 61-year-old from Zhejiang and a member of the 20th Central Committee, is now the party secretary of Henan province, replacing his previous role as the party secretary of Fujian province. Liu Ning has stepped down from his position as the party secretary of Henan province. Zhao Long has been appointed as the party secretary of Fujian province.
Public records show that Li Lecheng has held various positions, including being a member of the Central Committee of the CCP, and serving in roles such as the Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, Liaoning Provincial Governor, and Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Liang Yanshun, also a member of the Central Committee, has previously served in positions such as Deputy Secretary in charge of daily work at the Central and State Organs Working Committee, and Party Secretary of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region before becoming the party secretary of Anhui province in 2024.
Zhou Zuyi, a member of the Central Committee, has previously served as the Party Secretary of Tongji University, Director of the Department of Organization and Cadre of the Central Organization Department, Deputy Minister of the Central Organization Department, Minister of the Office of the Central Organization Department, Party Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the CCP, and Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. He began his role as the party secretary of Fujian province in November 2022.
Liu Ning, also a member of the Central Committee, has previously held positions such as Governor of Qinghai province, Governor of Liaoning province, and Party Secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region before becoming the party secretary of Henan province in December 2024. Zhao Long, a 59-year-old from Liaoning and a member of the Central Committee, has held various positions in the Ministry of Land and Resources, and was previously appointed as the Acting Governor and later Governor of Fujian province.
The recent personnel changes have drawn attention, especially in Fujian, due to its historical significance as a long-standing location of leadership for CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun commented on X that Zhou Zuyi is a typical academic bureaucrat who was promoted by Yu Zhengsheng, the party secretary of Shanghai, early in his career. When Xi Jinping came into power, Zhou Zuyi joined the Central Organization Department in 2013 under the leadership of Chen Xi, and has been working under Chen Xi ever since, earning his trust.
Cai Shenkun revealed that during Zhou Zuyi’s tenure as the party secretary of Fujian province, he had a poor reputation as he focused more on pleasing Xi Jinping rather than carrying out his official duties. He invested significant efforts in promoting Xi Jinping’s speeches in Xiamen, Ningde, and Fuzhou.
The background of the newly appointed party secretary of Fujian province, Zhao Long, is relatively complex. He has worked under various ministers in the Ministry of Land and Resources, including Zhou Yongkang, Tian Fengshan, Sun Wensheng, Xu Shaoshi, and Jiang Daming.
Cai Shenkun mentioned that Jiang Daming, when he served as the Minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources, fell ill and was hospitalized in Jinan. Zhao Long stayed by his side day and night, gaining Jiang Daming’s favor. In 2015, Jiang Daming brought Zhao Long back to Beijing from Jinan to serve as Director of the Planning Department, and promoted him to Deputy Minister a year later. Jiang Daming hails from Shandong.
Both Liang Yanshun and Liu Ning are only 64 years old, not yet at the retirement age of 65 for provincial and ministerial-level officials.
On June 8, 2026, Du Yan’an, the “steward” of the Anhui Provincial Committee and secretary general of the Standing Committee of the Anhui Provincial People’s Congress, surrendered and accepted investigation.
Prior to the 20th National Congress of the CCP, on April 17, 2022, when Liu Ning was in charge of Guangxi, he promoted a slogan of “forever supporting the leader, defending the leader, and following the leader.” The CCP Guangxi Committee even produced a television special titled “Following the Leader.” Writer Tian Qizhuang from Handan, Hebei, reported Liu Ning to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for engaging in personality cult behaviors but faced oppression and a two-year prison sentence for “provocation.”
Additionally, on September 22, there were changes in party secretaries in Tibet, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces. Former Gansu Party Secretary Hu Changsheng succeeded Wang Junzheng as the Party Secretary of Tibet Autonomous Region, while the post of Gansu Party Secretary was taken over by former Qinghai Party Secretary Wu Xiaojun. Former Qinghai Governor Luo Dongchuan has been appointed as the Party Secretary of Qinghai province. Wang Junzheng stepped down before reaching the age of 65, indicating an early departure.
Hong Kong’s “Sing Tao Daily” reported that Wang Junzheng might take up a position in the National People’s Congress or the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference to “retire to the second line.” However, officials who resigned “due to age reasons” have also been investigated later. The report suggested that Wang Junzheng’s departure may be related to his inadequate handling of the disaster in Jilong.
The “8.26” mudslide along the Sino-Nepalese border resulted in 562 deaths or disappearances in Jilong, Tibet. The Chinese authorities heavily censored information following the disaster, contrasting sharply with the openness of information on the Nepalese side.