In recent times, turmoil within the official circles of the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang has drawn external attention. On November 30th, Chen Weijun, the Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang government, was placed under investigation. Meanwhile, the former Xinjiang Party Secretary, Ma Xingrui, was notably absent from a Communist Party Political Bureau study session, and since mid-October, several of Ma Xingrui’s former subordinates have died under mysterious circumstances.
The Communist Party Political Bureau held a “collective study” on November 28th. In the official media coverage of the event, Ma Xingrui, who stepped down as Xinjiang Party Secretary in July, was not seen at the venue, which sparked attention.
According to the footage broadcast by the official Chinese media, there was no sign of Ma Xingrui, with the camera first capturing Foreign Minister Wang Yi, followed by Personnel Minister Shi Taifeng, and United Front Work Minister Li Ganjie. Based on the stroke order of the political bureau members’ surnames, Ma Xingrui was originally positioned at the beginning of the list.
Ma Xingrui, 66, has a long history in the Chinese aerospace industry and has held prominent positions such as General Manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and Director of the National Space Administration, earning him the nickname “Aerospace Little Marshal.” After serving as Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee at the end of 2013, he later took on the role of Party Secretary of Shenzhen, became Governor of Guangdong at the end of 2016, and assumed the position of Xinjiang Party Secretary at the end of 2021, advancing to a member of the Politburo at the 20th Party Congress.
The official announcement on July 1st saw Chen Xiaojiang, former Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party, appointed as Xinjiang Party Secretary, with Ma Xingrui having “another appointment.” However, after five months have passed since then, the authorities have yet to disclose Ma Xingrui’s new role. Online rumors have suggested his involvement in family corruption, although this remains unconfirmed at present.
On September 3rd this year, Ma Xingrui was seen at the Tiananmen Gate Tower watching a military parade, where official media footage showed him looking dazed, frequently wiping his forehead.
In recent times, there have been continuous online rumors surrounding Ma Xingrui and his wife Rong Li facing troubles. Following a Communist Party Political Bureau meeting on November 28th, commentator Jiang Wangzheng, known for disclosing high-level Communist Party movements, posted that Ma Xingrui would be the “first tiger in 2026.” He had previously revealed on November 19th that Ma Xingrui was currently under the control of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection at the Anhui Huangshan “official institution.”
Since Ma Xingrui’s departure from Xinjiang in July, the sixth round of central inspection teams entered Xinjiang in late July 2025 and spent approximately two and a half months working in the areas surveyed, concluding in early to mid-October. Following this, several of Ma Xingrui’s former subordinates faced mysterious deaths.
On October 13th, Liu Chen, Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Political and Legal Committee, was placed under investigation.
On November 1st, Jin Zhizhen, Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Political Consultative Conference, was subjected to an investigation.
On November 3rd, Jiang Xinjun, Secretary of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Discipline Inspection Commission and Director of the Supervision Commission, passed away suddenly.
On November 10th, Ma Zhijun, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of Urumqi, Xinjiang, fell from grace.
On November 30th, Chen Weijun, Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang government, was placed under investigation.
On November 30th, Chen Weijun, a member of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the government, was officially removed from his position and is currently undergoing scrutiny and investigation. The announcement of Chen Weijun’s dismissal was made on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervision Commission.
Chen Weijun’s last public appearance was on November 20th.
Jiang Wangzheng had preemptively revealed on the X platform a week before, on November 22nd, that Chen Weijun was under investigation. He also disclosed that Chen Weijun was in trouble mainly due to issues during his tenure in Wenzhou and Xinjiang. After Chen Weijun’s downfall, Jiang Wangzheng posted again, claiming that Chen Weijun had sided with Ma Xingrui.
Public records show that Chen Weijun, 59, had a long career in Zhejiang, serving in positions such as Mayor of Huzhou and Party Secretary of Huzhou, before becoming the Deputy Governor of Zhejiang in January 2018. He concurrently served as the Party Secretary of Wenzhou in May 2018, and in July 2019, he was appointed as a member of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Party Secretary of Wenzhou. In May 2021, Chen Weijun was appointed as a Member of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Party Committee and subsequently served as Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region government, Deputy Party Secretary, Director of the Party Finance Office, and Director of the Civil-Military Integration Office and National Movement Office of the Autonomous Region Party Committee.
Public information indicates that Chen Weijun was a subordinate of Ma Xingrui during Ma’s tenure in Xinjiang. Ma Xingrui served as Xinjiang Party Secretary from the end of 2021 to June 2025, while Chen Weijun has been a member of the Xinjiang Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region government since June 2021; the two had intersected over three and a half years while serving in different areas of Xinjiang.
Political commentator Li Yanming believes that Ma Xingrui’s recent absence from the Political Bureau meeting and the downfall of his deputy at the vice-provincial level, Chen Weijun, signal further peril in their political fortunes.