In a news released by the official Chinese Communist Party media on April 11, the appointments of Mo Gaoyi as the director of the State Council Information Office and Long Teng as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology are worth further discussion.
Mo Gaoyi, who was born in Shishou, Hubei, shares a common birth month and year with his predecessor and current Minister of Culture, Sun Yeli. However, with the changes in the top levels of the Chinese Communist Party and the expansion of power of Cai Qi, the head of propaganda, it was not surprising to see Sun Yeli, who once obeyed Li Keqiang and Wang Huning, being replaced.
At the age of 59, Mo Gaoyi started his career teaching at the Guangdong Provincial Socialist College before moving into the government system in Guangdong. His transition from academia to the government indicates a savvy operator. From 2010 to 2017, Mo Gaoyi served as the Deputy Minister of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda Department. During this time, he also simultaneously served as the secretary of the Southern Newspaper Group Party Committee from 2013 and later became the president of the Southern Daily newspaper in late 2015. While serving as the Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department, he had interactions with Shen Haixiong, who was then the Minister of the Propaganda Department and the current head of Central China Television (CCTV).
Perhaps due to his successful flattery of a high-ranking official in Guangdong, in March 2017, Mo Gaoyi was appointed as the Party Secretary of Shaoguan City. That year, he had intersections with Li Xi, who was then the Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and now serves as the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
In December 2018, Mo Gaoyi was promoted to the Deputy Minister-level position as the head of the Propaganda Department of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervision Commission after being transferred to Beijing. Within two years, he was appointed as the head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Team of the People’s Daily and then, in March 2021, as a member of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and the Director of the Propaganda Department. During this period, he had significant interactions with Cai Qi, who was then the Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee.
Throughout his decades-long rise in the government hierarchy and based on his public speeches, Mo Gaoyi, like other high-ranking Chinese Communist Party officials, appears to have a skill for saying what is needed depending on the audience.
When Wang Yang was the top official in Guangdong, Mo Gaoyi could advocate for reform and opening up in the media, welcoming foreign investment. Following the change in direction after the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party led by Xi Jinping, he could embrace Marxism, praise the top leadership, and emphasize the importance of the party’s educational programs in shaping ideology. Before the 20th National Congress, Cai Qi, who had aspirations for a top position in the Party, spoke highly of Xi, and Mo Gaoyi, as the head of propaganda, used the media to enhance Cai Qi’s personal image.
Perhaps due to his support, Cai Qi, who continuously expanded his power, appointed Mo Gaoyi to the positions of Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee and the Director of the State Council Information Office. Furthermore, online records show that Mo Gaoyi also held the position of the Deputy Director of the Office ranking third in the Chinese Communist Party in Network Security and Informatization, with Cai Qi as the head.
In fact, the State Council Information Office is a facade for the external division of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, overseen by the Propaganda Department. Its main responsibilities include guiding Chinese media on what to report, coordinating international news coverage, organizing press conferences to introduce China’s situation and policies to domestic and foreign journalists, preparing and publishing government white papers to clarify the principles and policies of the Chinese government on major issues, and more.
In summary, the State Council Information Office directs what the Chinese Communist Party media should say or not say, how to distort facts and spread the Party’s twisted ideologies. Given Mo Gaoyi’s rise to power, his proficiency in tailoring his message to the audience and his ability to lie without blushing, he seems to be a suitable fit for his new positions. Most importantly, he understands Cai Qi’s intentions well, earning his trust. Following his promotion, he is likely to adhere to Cai Qi’s instructions more closely.
Looking at the new Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Long Teng, who has a long tenure at Beijing Institute of Technology and was appointed as the president of the university in 2022 after less than two years in the position, the one leading him up could very well be Cai Qi. In 2020, Cai Qi went to Beijing Institute of Technology for research and attended its anniversary celebration. In 2022, he inspected the epidemic prevention measures at the university, and Long Teng, as a university leader, was undoubtedly one of the accompanying officials.
With reports continuously surfacing about the weakening of Premier Li Keqiang’s power and speculative internal struggles between Li Keqiang and Cai Qi, Cai Qi’s placement of trusted individuals in the State Council did not start with Mo Gaoyi and Long Teng. Last October, it was reported that Yin Hejun was appointed as the Secretary of the Party Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology, showing clear connections with Cai Qi in his career development.
Yin Hejun became a Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in January 2008, then rose to Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology in November 2015. Since March 2017, Yin Hejun successively held positions as a member of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, Deputy Mayor, member of the Party Group, and Secretary of the Zhongguancun Management Committee. While serving as Deputy Mayor, he received praise from Cai Qi, then the Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, who lauded him for his good political qualities, broad vision, strong awareness of reform and innovation, and significant contributions to filling gaps in China’s science and military equipment fields.
As Cai Qi, who is the first-ranked Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission to directly double as the head of the Organization Department since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, busies himself obediently following Xi Jinping’s orders, he is also cultivating his own influence and placing his own people in central government agencies. Is this Cai Qi truly loyal to Xi or does he have another agenda?
Editor: Pudong#