File photo: On March 5, 2021, the day before the opening of China's National People's Congress (NPC), police patrol Tiananmen Square with dogs on a day of heavy air pollution in Beijing. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images.)
[People News] He Lifeng, the Vice Premier of the Communist Party of China, is undoubtedly a close confidant and favoured figure of Xi Jinping. It is said that he manages Xi's 'money bag.' Recently, some American media quoted senior officials from the Communist Party of China, stating that He Lifeng is the one in control during the China-U.S. trade negotiations, with officials reporting their work to him rather than to Xi.
Asia Sentinel cited revelations from these senior officials, indicating that during the China-U.S. trade negotiations held in London from June 10 to 11, 2025, officials did not report to Xi Jinping but instead to He Lifeng, the First Vice Premier of the State Council, who presided over the London talks.
The informant also noted that the trade negotiations are critical, and the London meeting provided the U.S. government with an opportunity to observe in real-time who holds power in Beijing and how the decision-making process of the Communist Party of China functions. However, state media are reluctant to disclose details, as it would embarrass Xi Jinping. This suggests that the senior official believes He Lifeng is effectively in charge of the Communist Party.
Recently, independent commentator Du Zheng revealed in the Shanghai Report that among the current members of the Politburo, He Lifeng is the most adept and overt in placing his own people in key positions.
It is reported that He Lifeng's allies are currently spread throughout the economic sector. He Lifeng has spent nine years deeply involved in the National Development and Reform Commission, which serves as his stronghold. After He Lifeng stepped down from the director position, the current director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Zheng Zhaojie, is a former subordinate from He Lifeng's time in Fujian.
Former Chinese Minister of Finance Liu Kun has made a return to the Ministry of Finance more than a year after his resignation, taking on the rare dual roles of Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of the National Social Security Fund of the Communist Party of China. Liu Kun is a former classmate of He Lifeng, while Lan Fo'an, who has succeeded Liu Kun as Minister of Finance, was Liu Kun's deputy during his tenure as Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Finance.
He Lifeng has also been noted for having a 'Xiamen University Gang' within the political sphere. He serves as the Director of the Financial Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Central Financial Work Committee. Wang Jiang, the current Executive Deputy Director of the Financial Office and Executive Deputy Secretary of the Central Financial Work Committee, is an alumnus of Xiamen University alongside He Lifeng. On September 27 of last year, Shen Danyang, Deputy Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, was appointed as the Director of the State Council Research Office, which serves as the primary think tank for Premier Li Qiang. Shen Danyang hails from Zhangzhou, Fujian, and is also a graduate of Xiamen University, being a junior to He Lifeng.
Du Zheng has also remarked that He Lifeng oversees the 'purse' of the Communist Party of China on behalf of Xi Jinping, which Xi may utilise to negotiate with political adversaries.
The relationship between He Lifeng and Xi Jinping dates back to their concurrent service in Fujian. When Xi Jinping was a member of the Standing Committee of the Xiamen Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor in 1985, He Lifeng was serving as the Deputy Director of the Xiamen Municipal Finance Bureau. Later, when Xi Jinping became Deputy Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Governor in 2000, He Lifeng was the Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee. He Lifeng's tenure in Fujian spanned 25 years, with 17 of those years overlapping with Xi Jinping's time there. He Lifeng even served as the best man at Xi Jinping's wedding, which has led to him being viewed as a loyal confidant within Xi Jinping's 'Fujian Gang.'
Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that sources close to China's political decision-making revealed that He Lifeng played a vital role in convincing Xi Jinping to implement a recent series of economic measures. Xi had previously resisted taking strong actions to revive the economy, which had been severely damaged by three years of strict pandemic controls.
The report also indicated that foreign executives looking to do business in China are keen to meet with He Lifeng to establish connections. He Lifeng is one of the officials who oversee the core of China's economy and has a 'direct line' to Xi Jinping. During her visit to Beijing last year, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed a particular interest in meeting He Lifeng.
Recently, there have been rampant rumours regarding Xi Jinping's potential handover of power, with various versions of the rumoured successor list circulating. Names such as Wang Yang, Hu Chunhua, Ding Xuexiang, and Chen Jining have been mentioned, but He Lifeng has not appeared on any lists.
From May 10 to 11, U.S. and Chinese officials engaged in closed-door trade negotiations at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs' guesthouse by Lake Geneva.
In contrast, Xi Jinping embarked on a four-day state visit to Russia starting on the 7th. The Chosun Ilbo reported that until the 10th, Xi was sending a message to both domestic and international audiences that China would not yield to the United States. Chinese state media provided only brief and cursory coverage of the U.S.-China negotiation schedule.
Asia Sentinel noted that following the trade negotiations in Geneva from May 11 to 12 and in London from June 10 to 11, He Lifeng, a close ally of Xi Jinping, did not mention Xi Jinping's name or Xi Jinping Thought in his comments.
Analysts observe that He Lifeng's overt cultivation of power is intricately woven into the economic landscape, with various factions supporting each other. As Xi Jinping has put it, this resembles the formation of 'cliques and factions.' It is predictable that if He Lifeng were to provoke Xi Jinping, he would face a ruthless purge, consistent with Xi's typical approach to dealing with trusted aides. In light of this, it is reasonable for He Lifeng to retaliate, especially given his control over the 'purse strings.'
During the late Cultural Revolution, Hua Guofeng, who played a key role in toppling the Gang of Four, also held the position of the country's first vice premier. The Asian Sentinel suggests that, in this context, it is not out of the question for He Lifeng to emerge as a leading figure opposing Xi.
(First published by the People News) △
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