In recent years, the phenomenon of numerous high-ranking officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government and military “disappearing” has become a prominent issue in the political arena. Who are these CCP high officials who have gone missing in the past two years? How should we view the disappearance of these CCP high officials? This article will delve into these questions for discussion.
At the just-concluded National People’s Congress (NPC) meeting, four high-ranking officials were conspicuously absent: Yuan Huazhi, a naval political commissar and NPC delegate; Wang Chunning, commander of the People’s Armed Police and NPC delegate; Xu Dazhe, former chairman of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and NPC Standing Committee member; and Luo Qi, former chief engineer of the China National Nuclear Corporation and NPC Standing Committee member. All four of these officials have gone “missing.”
Former senior army political commissar and general, Qin Shutong, is also missing along with Yuan Huazhi and Wang Chunning.
According to the reports from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, 92 mid-level officials were investigated in 2024, yet only 58 cases were publicly disclosed on the Commission’s website. Who are the other 34 high officials? Clearly, these 34 officials have also gone missing.
Similarly, in 2023, 87 mid-level officials were investigated, but only 45 cases were disclosed on the Commission’s website. Who are the remaining 42 high officials? These 42 officials have also disappeared.
In total, 76 high officials have gone missing in 2023 and 2024.
Several senior military leaders were stripped of their NPC delegate qualifications in 2023 and 2024. This includes 3 generals and 9 major generals, all suspected of serious disciplinary violations. Yet, neither the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection nor the military discipline inspection authorities have released any information about their investigations. These 15 high-ranking officers are now in a state of disappearance.
Additionally, Rocket Force deputy commander and Major General Liu Guangbin, and former Strategic Support Force deputy commander and Major General Shang Hong are also missing.
On June 27, 2024, it was announced that former Central Military Commission members and Defense Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were under investigation, expelled from the party, and handed over to the judiciary. However, details about their corruption allegations and legal outcomes were not disclosed by the CCP. These two individuals are also currently missing.
On July 18, 2024, news of the expulsion of former Rocket Force Chief of Staff and Major General Sun Jinming for serious disciplinary violations was revealed. Yet, key details about his case, such as when he was detained and the specific charges, have not been disclosed. Sun Jinming is also in a state of disappearance.
In November 2024, the spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense announced that Miao Hua, a Central Military Commission member and head of the Political Work Department, was under investigation for severe disciplinary violations. Miao Hua remains in a state of disappearance.
In December 2023, an analyst from the Canadian think tank Cercius Group, specializing in Chinese elite politics, stated that around 70 individuals from the Rocket Force were taken away for investigation. Most of these cases were not publicly disclosed, leaving these individuals missing.
Miao Hua, a Central Military Commission member responsible for promoting senior military leaders, was implicated in several cases involving individuals like Yuan Huazhi, Wang Chunning, and Qin Shutong. However, the list of these high-ranking officers promoted by Miao Hua has not been made public, and these individuals are also missing.
In 2023 and 2024, several high-ranking officials from military-industrial enterprises were stripped of their political advisory committee qualifications. This includes figures like Wu Yansheng, Liu Shiquan, Wang Changqing, Wang Xiaojun, and Xiaolongxu, who are currently missing.
Yuan Jie, the former chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group, and Chen Guoying, the former general manager of China Ordnance Equipment Group, have been replaced and are currently missing.
Zhang Hongwen, the former deputy general manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group and later the Secretary of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee, and Jin Zhuanglong, the former deputy general manager of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Group and later the Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, have been dismissed from their positions and are also missing.
On January 18, the resumes of Ha Zhaoping, general manager, and Yang Wei, deputy general manager, were removed from the China Aviation Industry Group website, indicating their dismissals with undisclosed whereabouts. They are also missing.
Wen Gang, the former chairman of China Shipbuilding Corporation, and Du Gang, the former deputy secretary of the China Shipbuilding Corporation Party Group, have been replaced and are missing.
On October 25 of the previous year, it was reported that Chen Zhaoxiong, former chairman of China Electronic Technology Corporation, and Wu Manqing, former general manager of China Electronic Technology Corporation, were taken away for investigation by relevant departments, but the news was quickly deleted. These two individuals are also missing.
After the dismissal of Liu Cangli, the director, and Mo Zeyao, the deputy director of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, they have also gone missing.
Two other missing high-ranking officials are Qin Gang, former State Councilor and Foreign Minister, and Liu Yazhou, former political commissar of the National Defense University and Air Force general. According to reports from Hong Kong and foreign media, Liu Yazhou has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the CCP authorities for serious corruption charges.
However, details such as when Liu Yazhou was detained, when he was expelled from the party and the military, stripped of his general rank, and sentenced for what crimes and how many years, have not been disclosed by the CCP.
The disappearance of these high-ranking officials in the party, government, and military, as well as top executives of state-owned large-scale military-industrial enterprises, is not a minor matter to be downplayed by the CCP. Instead, it reflects a critical issue concerning the future and destiny of the CCP. The disappearance of these officials reveals at least four key points:
1. Most of the “missing” party, government, and military officials mentioned above were personally promoted by Xi Jinping.
2. Qin Gang was the youngest party and state leader Xi personally promoted with exceptional timing and importance.
3. Wei Fenghe, as the first general promoted to the rank by Xi after becoming Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the first commander of the newly established Rocket Force in 2015 by Xi, and the Minister of National Defense promoted and trusted by Xi in 2018, can be regarded as Xi’s top military elite.
4. Miao Hua is seen as Xi’s most trusted associate in the military. Since being promoted by Xi to the Central Military Commission member and Political Work Department head in 2017, Miao Hua has played a vital role in Xi’s military and political operations, overseeing top military personnel appointments and supervising political commissars in the military. It is very likely that Miao Hua is the most promising candidate for Xi in upcoming important roles within the CCP and the Military Commission.
Some lower-ranking officials have speculated on the possible involvement of high-ranking officials in recent corruption scandals, such as Yuan Huazhi, Wang Chunning, and Qin Shutong, all of whom were appointed by Xi but their lists have not been made public. This group of high-ranking officials is also among the “missing.”
In 2023 and 2024, a number of high-ranking officials from military-industrial enterprises were stripped of their positions on the political advisory committees. Among them were individuals like Wu Yansheng, Liu Shiquan, Wang Xiaojun, Wang Changqing, and Xiaolongxu, who are currently unaccounted for.
Yuan Jie, former Chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group, and Chen Guoying, former General Manager of China Equipment Group, have been replaced and are currently “missing”.
Zhang Hongwen, former Deputy General Manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group and later Secretary of the Central Politburo of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee, and Jin Zhuanglong, former Deputy General Manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group and later Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, are missing.
Officials like Chen Zhaoxiong and Wu Manqing have been reported to be under investigation, but the information has been scrubbed, making these individuals missing.
Liu Cangli, the Director of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, and Mo Zeyao, the Deputy Director, have also gone missing after their dismissals.
Candidates like Qin Gang and Liu Yazhou have been reportedly involved in corruption scandals, yet their cases have not been publicly disclosed by the CCP.
Overall, the disappearance of these party, government, and military high-ranking officials and top executives from state-owned large-scale military-industrial enterprises is not a matter the CCP can downplay. These disappearances raise significant concerns about the accountability and transparency of the CCP leadership, leaving many questions about their whereabouts and the seriousness of the alleged corruption charges unanswered. The lack of disclosure and transparency in these cases demonstrate a broader issue of political crisis within the CCP, revealing underlying power struggles and potential fractures within the leadership.