53-year-old Vice Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Liu Hongjian, has been reappointed as the Secretary of the Kunming Municipal Committee. He publicly stated that he will uphold political discipline in the posture of a “lead goose.” Liu Hongjian has previously been named by foreign media as a potential successor to the CCP’s leader Xi Jinping. However, some analysts believe that this could lead Liu Hongjian into trouble.
According to information from the WeChat official account “Kunming Releases,” the 13th Committee of the CCP Kunming Municipal Party held a full meeting on the afternoon of September 24, where Liu Hongjian was “elected” as the Secretary of the Municipal Committee.
During the meeting, Liu Hongjian emphasized the importance of “cleanliness” and expressed his commitment to setting an example in upholding political discipline and regulations by leading with the posture of a “lead goose.”
Public records show that Liu Hongjian, born in January 1973 in Fuding, Fujian Province, is a candidate member of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP. He has previously held positions such as Deputy Secretary of the Nanping Municipal Committee and Mayor of Fujian Province. In July 2020, he was promoted across provinces to become the Deputy Governor of Yunnan Province, and in May 2021, he became a member of the Standing Committee of the Yunnan Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. In December 2021, he became a member of the Standing Committee of the Yunnan Provincial Committee, the Secretary of the Kunming Municipal Committee, and the Secretary of the Party Working Committee of the Yunnan Dianzhong New Area. In November 2025, he took office as the Deputy Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee.
It is worth noting that in October 2022, an article in the Wall Street Journal named Liu Hongjian and four others as the “political rising stars” of the CCP, who could potentially succeed Xi Jinping as the highest leader. The other four individuals are the current Mayor of Beijing, Yin Yong (born in August 1969), former Director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission, Zhong Shaojun (born in October 1968), Deputy Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee, Zhu Ge Yujie (born in May 1971), and Deputy Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Committee, Guo Ningning (born in July 1970).
Independent commentator Du Zheng, in an article titled “Fujian Faction Eyes the Highest Position in the CCP,” published in Taiwan’s Up Media on December 29, 2025, stated that the officials cultivated by Xi Jinping over the years are divided into factions such as the Fujian Faction, Zhejiang Faction, Shaanxi Faction, etc. Recently, the military faction of the Fujian Faction, represented by He Weidong and Miao Hua, has been suppressed by the Shaanxi Faction, represented by Zhang Youxia, but the Fujian Faction within the party and government system still influences state affairs and shows aspirations for the highest position of power. In the past, Sun Zhengcai and Hu Chunhua were seen as successor candidates from a faction not aligned with Xi, but now there are rumblings within Xi’s camp.
The article mentions that in November 2025, Liu Hongjian, the 1973-born candidate member of the Central Committee, was promoted from a member of the Standing Committee of the Yunnan Provincial Committee and the Secretary of the Kunming Municipal Committee to the Deputy Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee. Since Liu Hongjian was named as one of the five major political rising stars, his promotion leads to speculation that he is being groomed as the so-called successor to Xi from the Fujian Faction.
However, Du Zheng believes that, similar to Zhong Shaojun, formerly Xi Jinping’s chief aide in the military who has recently fallen from grace, there are precedents such as the downfall of Sun Zhengcai and sidelining of Hu Chunhua. Young high-ranking officials marked as successor candidates may instead be viewed with suspicion by Xi or become targets of political attacks.