Two senior officials from the Chinese Communist Party’s top party mouthpiece People’s Daily have “disappeared” from the official website, with their whereabouts unknown and no official explanation provided. The recent mysterious developments in the Chinese Communist Party’s political scene, with officials frequently going missing, have raised concerns.
According to a report from Hong Kong’s “Sing Tao Daily” on June 9th, the “Leadership Introduction” section on the People’s Daily official website recently showed the absence of two senior figures, including People’s Daily Vice President Hu Guo and People’s Daily Editorial Committee Member and Secretary-General Yu Jijun.
At present, it is unclear where the two individuals are and when the names of Hu Guo and Yu Jijun disappeared from the section.
In March of this year, the official WeChat account of Wuliangye Group reported that on March 13, the Party Secretary and Chairman of the Group led a team to visit People’s Daily. People’s Daily President Yu Shaoliang and Vice President Hu Guo met with Chairman Zeng from Wuliangye Group.
Hu Guo, born in March 1971, graduated from the Department of Journalism at Renmin University of China in 1992 and joined People’s Daily after graduation. He has held various positions such as Chief Editor of Political News, Deputy Director of the General Office, President of the Tianjin Branch, Director of the Department of Foreign Exchange and Cooperation, and Director of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. In September 2023, Hu Guo was promoted to Vice President of People’s Daily and also a member of the editorial team for the significant political commentary in “People’s Daily” called “Ren Zhongping.” Hu Guo is also a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
People’s Daily, the largest party mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, uses collective pen names like “Ren Zhongping” and “Ren Lixuan” for nationwide ideological indoctrination.
Yu Jijun, born in November 1969, previously served as the Editorial Committee Member and Secretary-General of People’s Daily and was regarded as the steward of the newspaper. After obtaining a master’s degree in Chinese from Beijing Normal University in August 1994, he joined People’s Daily. In October 2001, he became the director of the Xiamen station of People’s Daily, and in 2005, he was appointed President of the Chongqing Branch. In 2009, he became the director of the Digital Communication Office and chairman of the Digital Communication Company, and later served as an Editorial Committee Member and Secretary-General of People’s Daily as well as the director of the Corporate Supervision Department.
Last year saw changes in the leadership of People’s Daily, with both the President and the Chief Editor replaced. Former Chief Editor Yu Shaoliang took over as President in September of last year, succeeding Tuo Zhen, who had retired. Tuo Zhen was a controversial figure who assisted Xi Jinping in cracking down on outspoken voices in the “Nanfang Weekend” publication in 2013. In October last year, former Guangdong Provincial Committee member and Propaganda Department Minister Chen Jianwen was appointed as the Chief Editor of People’s Daily. Chen Jianwen, a native of Longhai, Fujian, is a longtime acquaintance of Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee responsible for ideological work, and a junior fellow at Fujian Normal University. He is also a schoolmate of Huang Kunming, former Minister of the Central Propaganda Department and current Secretary of Guangdong Province, who hails from Fujian.
In October last year, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CCP announced inspections of 34 units, including the Central Propaganda Department, the Central United Front Work Department, People’s Daily, Qiushi Journal, Guangming Daily, China Daily, Economic Daily, and Science and Technology Daily. On the evening of December 28th, the CCP Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that three officials from People’s Daily were under investigation, including He Yong, President of the Shanxi Branch, Xu Tao, former Chairman and General Manager of the Digital Communication Company, and Liu Jianlin, former Party Secretary and Chairman of China Energy Automobile Communication Group.
Since the 20th National Congress of the CCP, internal power struggles within the top echelons of the party have intensified, with many high-ranking party, government, and military officials, as well as executives of state-owned enterprises, being investigated. Many have quietly resigned, their whereabouts unknown, fueling ongoing international attention on the opaque machinations of CCP political infighting.
Recent reports have speculated about Xi Jinping’s diminishing power, with signs of unusual low-profile behavior from Xi’s close confidant Cai Qi, who is responsible for propaganda work. Cai Qi has been absent on several occasions when Xi traveled.
Recent information from authoritative sources obtained by “Epoch Times” suggests that Xi Jinping lost real power as early as April last year, although he still maintains a facade of authority. Elder statesmen like Wen Jiabao and Zhang Yuxia have become crucial factors influencing the dynamics of CCP politics.