The new regulation of compulsory social insurance contributions imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is set to take effect in September, sparking strong backlash from the public. Former chief editor of CCP’s official media “Global Times,” Hu Xijin, recently published an article in defense of the official stance, but was exposed for receiving a retirement pension as high as 33,000 yuan, triggering criticism from netizens. Hu Xijin hastily clarified that the amount was not as much as reported, yet he did not disclose the exact figure of his retirement pension. Some bloggers familiar with the CCP system believe that it could exceed this amount.
On August 1, Beijing officially announced a comprehensive ban on “voluntarily waiving social insurance” starting September 1, leading to widespread dissatisfaction online. The significant disparity between the social insurance funds of retired officials within the CCP system and the general public has once again raised concerns. Hu Xijin publicly defended the official new regulation on August 10 via a post on Weibo, criticizing those who use the example of rural farmers receiving only a few hundred yuan in retirement pension to attack the social insurance system, labeling it as extremely hypocritical. He also chastised critics to go back to the countryside to serve their parents. He later deleted the post, but netizens had already screenshot and circulated it.
In the following days, “Hu Xijin, retirement pension” became a hot search keyword on Chinese internet platforms, with his comments provoking strong discontent among netizens.
A Weibo account reposted a screenshot of Hu Xijin’s article on August 18, claiming that Hu Xijin receives a monthly retirement pension as high as 33,000 yuan. The post criticized Hu Xijin for opposing an increase in the monthly retirement pension for Chinese farmers who receive only a couple of hundred yuan, accusing him of favoring the wealthy over the less privileged. This led some netizens to question the source of his 33,000 yuan pension and to speculate on the mystery of its origins.
Regarding the claim that Hu Xijin’s retirement pension is 33,000 yuan, this information has been widely circulated.
In response, Hu Xijin hurriedly took to Weibo on the 19th to clarify that he was suddenly asked to treat someone to a meal without reason, only to discover through online rumors that his retirement pension was said to be 33,000 yuan, which he found damaging. He mentioned he had transitioned to a corporate role earlier and had not seen anyone around him receiving a retirement pension as high as 33,000 yuan, adding that if such an amount is true, people should come to him for money! However, he still did not disclose the precise figure of his retirement pension.
A Chinese blogger named “Random Thoughts” expressed doubts about the claim that Hu Xijin’s monthly retirement pension is 33,000 yuan. Initially suspecting that Hu Xijin, as a formal bureau-level official who has been retired for several years, might receive a pension ranging from 20,000 to 25,000 yuan, but then considered that 33,000 yuan per month is within the realm of possibility. Hu Xijin held a significant position as the chief editor of the “Global Times” for many years with a higher salary under an annual salary system, which could lead to higher pension contributions, including occupational pensions.
Another Chinese blogger, “Laughs A Lot,” speculated that Hu Xijin’s retirement pension could be as high as 40,000 yuan. According to analysis, as a bureau-level official retiring in Beijing with over 40 years of service, bureau-level officials like Hu Xijin might receive retirement funds ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 yuan. When factoring in Hu Xijin’s mentioned “State Council special subsidies” for top media talents in China, it could be reasonable to estimate his retirement pension between 25,000 yuan and 40,000 yuan.
Hu Xijin announced his retirement in December 2021, during his tenure as chief editor of the “Global Times.” He had frequently been involved in controversial topics related to corruption during his time in office.
On May 30, 2012, after the former Minister of Railways, Liu Zhijun, was expelled from the party, the “Global Times” published an editorial stating that “moderate corruption” should be allowed.
Hu Xijin himself received a warning from the authorities in 2013 for using public funds for travel and was required to provide a written inspection and refund.
On October 6, 2020, during an interview with “Vision Times,” former Phoenix TV journalist Zhang Zhenyu claimed that Hu Xijin owned multiple properties, including a luxury mansion worth tens of millions of yuan in Beijing. Despite Hu Xijin’s assertion of patriotism, his decision to allow his son to immigrate to North America became a subject of mockery among his colleagues, yet Hu Xijin denied these claims.
Hu Xijin once denied earning an annual income of 12 million yuan. He told the Hong Kong media that he only has a daughter working in Beijing.
In December 2020, Hu Xijin was reported to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection by his subordinate, deputy chief editor Duan Jingtao, for having extramarital affairs with two female subordinates and fathering two illegitimate children. However, Hu Xijin refuted these claims, and the official investigation deemed them unfounded.
Veteran Taiwanese media figure Kang Renjun suggested that behind this incident, there may be internal power struggles involving high-ranking officials who might want to “take down” Hu Xijin. Given the working relationship between Hu Xijin and Duan Jingtao, Duan’s revelations carry a certain credibility. There might be someone backing her decision to report Hu Xijin publicly.