Former Deputy Chairman of the Communist Party of China and Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Wu Yingjie, has recently been placed under investigation. Independent commentator Cai Shunkun believes that Wu Yingjie’s downfall is related to Hu Chunhua.
On June 16, the Chinese Communist Party announced that Wu Yingjie is being investigated for “serious violations of discipline and law.”
At the age of 68, Wu Yingjie has held various positions in Tibet, including Vice Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Minister of the Publicity Department of the Regional Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Regional Party Committee, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Government, and Party Secretary of the Autonomous Region. After stepping down as Party Secretary of Tibet in October 2021, Wu Yingjie served as Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee; in 2023, he became a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Cultural, Historical, and Learning Committee. The investigation took place during his tenure as a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Director of the Cultural, Historical, and Learning Committee.
Regarding Wu Yingjie’s fall from grace, independent commentator Cai Shunkun analyzed on X platform on June 16 that the removal of Wu Yingjie, who had worked in Tibet for a lifetime, indicates that Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping still doesn’t trust Hu Chunhua, who has stepped back to the CPPCC, and won’t let him off the hook.
Cai Shunkun believes that because Hu Chunhua was the last banner of the Youth League and the designated successor to Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping and his confidants will not give him any chance of return and will use various means to erase him.
Hu Chunhua, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC, arrived in Tibet in August 1983 and held various positions in the region. Hu Jintao had interactions with Hu Chunhua during his tenure as Secretary of the Communist Party of Tibet Autonomous Region. After serving in Tibet, Hu Chunhua was transferred to the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, and later held positions in Hebei Province and as Vice Premier of the State Council.
Cai Shunkun believes that authorities are seeking breakthroughs from the places where Hu Chunhua worked and the officials he interacted with to conduct a thorough political investigation and leave no stone unturned, particularly to uncover any personal relationships or transactions with Hu Chunhua.
An online user, “James-江南曉渡,” agreed with this analysis, expressing concerns that Hu Chunhua, as a potential rival, may still face challenges. However, there are dissenting opinions from netizens such as Wayne Lee, who believe that Hu Chunhua is insignificant in Xi Jinping’s eyes and could be dealt with at any time without the need for complications.
During the 20th National Congress on October 22, 2022, former CCP leader Hu Jintao was reluctantly escorted away from the venue by staff. Li Keqiang and Wang Yang, also seen as Youth League figures, stepped down from their positions in the Political Bureau during the Congress. Xi Jinping officially removed Hu Chunhua from his position as the “Youth League Prince.”
On October 26, 2023, Li Keqiang, who had been out of office for just six months, passed away from a sudden heart attack while swimming at the Dongjiao Hotel in Shanghai. There were speculations that Li Keqiang was the second-generation leader of the Youth League set to succeed Hu Jintao.