The honorary chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association, Nie Weiping, passed away on the evening of the 14th in Beijing at the age of 74. The farewell ceremony for Nie Weiping was held on the morning of the 18th at the Babaoshan Funeral Home in Beijing. Xi Jinping’s brother, Xi Yuanping, sent a wreath, and official media reported that after Nie Weiping’s passing, “relevant leaders of the Central Party” expressed condolences in different ways, without specifying the names of the leaders.
According to official Chinese media reports, the farewell ceremony for Nie Weiping’s body was held at 8 a.m. in the East Hall of the Babaoshan Funeral Home. Xinhua News Agency stated that after Nie Weiping’s passing, “relevant leaders of the Central Party” expressed condolences in different ways and expressed condolences to his relatives.
As for which “Central leaders” expressed condolences, Xinhua News Agency did not provide specific details.
Hong Kong’s “Ming Pao” reported that Xi Jinping’s brother, Xi Yuanping, sent a wreath with the inscription referring to Nie as “Big Brother.” Deng Xiaoping’s eldest son, Deng Pufang, and his wife also sent wreaths to Nie Weiping. Nie Weiping had previously revealed that he and Xi Jinping were old friends for decades, sharing memories of their youth spent together. They were classmates at Beijing’s Twenty-Fifth Middle School and were once collectively known as the “Three Pings” with Liu Weiping, the son of Air Force General Liu Zhen during the Cultural Revolution.
Other individuals who sent wreaths include Lei Jun, the chairman of Xiaomi Group, as well as several celebrities from the sports industry. However, the current top officials of the Chinese Communist Party, such as Xi Jinping, were not listed.
Nie Weiping previously served as a member of the sixth National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a standing committee member of the seventh and eighth National Committee of the CPPCC, a former standing committee member of the China Democratic National Construction Association, honorary chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association, and former head coach of the national Weiqi team. In the 1980s, during the China-Japan Weiqi battles, he defeated several top Japanese players, earning him the title of a “national hero” in China.
Nie Weiping was also a close friend of Xi Jinping during their youth. Before Xi came to power, Nie was often invited to give lectures and appeared on TV programs, occasionally mentioning Xi Jinping in a joking manner.
Media reports have mentioned that when Xi Jinping was young, he served as the secretary to Geng Biao, a Vice Premier of the CCP who was an avid Weiqi player. Xi Jinping sought advice from his childhood friend, Nie Weiping, to improve his Weiqi skills so he could play with his leader. Nie Weiping later recalled in an interview that he didn’t teach Xi Jinping at the time, bluntly stating, “I was afraid he would play poorly and embarrass me.”
CEO of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank and veteran Japanese journalist, Akio Yaita, recently wrote on X website that during the time he was a reporter in Beijing, he had several interactions with Nie Weiping during Weiqi events and competitions. He was friendly and open to discussing various topics, including those related to Xi Jinping without hesitation.
Akio Yaita mentioned that before Xi Jinping rose to the core of power, Nie Weiping’s reputation overshadowed him, often giving lectures, participating in TV programs with humor, and occasionally joking about Xi Jinping. However, as power dynamics shifted and Xi Jinping consolidated power, he no longer publicly mentioned their friendship and even showed regret for the lighthearted remarks made in the past.