On December 19th, 2025, it was officially announced that Hao Rong, the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the Central Academy of Drama, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and has voluntarily surrendered to authorities. He is currently under investigation.
Hao Rong, a male of Han ethnicity, is a member of the Chinese Communist Party, a professor, and a doctoral supervisor. He serves as the President of the Central Academy of Drama and the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, as well as a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Additionally, Hao Rong holds positions such as the Deputy Director of the Teaching Guidance Committee for Drama and Film Studies at the Ministry of Education, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Film Artists Association, Vice Chairman of the China Musical Theatre Association, Special Researcher at the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Secretary-General of the World Alliance for Theatre Education, and Chairman of the Asian Theatre Education Research Center.
Hao Rong graduated from the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama. Throughout his career, he has held various positions including Director of the Dialogue Teaching and Research Office, Deputy Director of the Performance Department, Secretary of the Party Branch of the Performance Department, Director of the Performance Department, Assistant to the President of the Central Academy of Drama, and Vice President. He assumed the role of President of the Central Academy of Drama in November 2018.
The news of Hao Rong’s downfall has sparked discussion among internet users. Some netizens jokingly remark that Hao Rong has truly embodied the saying “life imitates art, art imitates life.”