Former Zhejiang Party Secretary Yi Lianhong Investigated.
[People News] After the detentions of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, senior ministerial-level officials in the Chinese Communist Party have continued to fall. On Feb. 10, Yi Lianhong became February’s first full-minister–rank “tiger” to be taken down. A trusted member of Xi Jinping’s camp, Yi had served as governor and party secretary in Liaoning, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang.
China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced that Yi is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” and is under investigation. Within just 40 days this year, eight officials at or above the ministerial level have been investigated or sentenced. Yi was widely regarded as part of Xi’s inner circle. His downfall is both surprising and, in some ways, expected.
Public records show Yi was born in 1959. During the Cultural Revolution he was sent down to the countryside in Hunan, later maneuvering into a teaching post. His political career began at the Hunan Party School. In 1992 he became deputy director of a teaching and research office there. By 2011 he had entered the Hunan Provincial Party Standing Committee, and in 2013 became Party Secretary of Changsha.
Before the CCP’s 20th Party Congress, Yi’s career advanced rapidly. In 2018 he became governor of Jiangxi, in 2019 governor of Liaoning, in 2021 Party Secretary of Jiangxi, and in December 2022 Party Secretary of Zhejiang. On Nov. 8, 2024, he was transferred to a vice chair position in the National People’s Congress Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.
This trajectory suggested Yi rose after Xi consolidated power from rival factions, rotating through top provincial government, party, and legislative posts — seemingly positioning him for further elevation at the 21st Party Congress, possibly to a vice–state level role.
However, at age 65, his November 2024 transfer to the NPC committee was widely seen as marginalization into a sidelined post, effectively ending his political career. Around the same time, another Xi ally, Jing Junhai, was also abruptly removed as Jilin Party Secretary and reassigned to a lesser NPC role. Reports circulated that both men were linked to fallen political or business figures.
In May 2018, while serving in Liaoning, Yi had helped bring property tycoon Xu Jiayin (Hui Ka Yan of Evergrande) to invest in the province, praising Evergrande’s “strategic cooperation.” After Xu’s arrest, rumors suggested Xu implicated Yi. Allegations claim Yi fostered close government-business ties, forming interest groups and taking bribes.
An insider surnamed Qin told The Dajiyuan that Yi was investigated partly because he promoted his own protégés and built cliques across Liaoning, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang — behavior that most angered top leadership.
Many insiders reportedly expected Yi’s fall. An independent scholar from Peking University surnamed Chi said the recent wave of investigations reflects the current political climate. With the fall of figures like Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, and now multiple ministerial officials, it is clear that a new round of personnel struggles is underway ahead of the upcoming “Two Sessions.” He predicted Yi would not be the last ministerial-level official investigated before the meetings.
Another commentator observed that in recent years, many officials taken down were retired or sidelined, but the latest cases involve those still in active posts. This suggests deliberate moves by top leadership and signals internal changes, making the situation increasingly opaque. Some analysts view these purges as outward signs of shifts in the CCP’s upper power structure.
Notably, the CCDI’s Feb. 10 notice did not specify Yi’s alleged violations or the time period involved. Interestingly, the same day the announcement was made, Zhejiang’s provincial Party Standing Committee quickly convened a meeting. Party Secretary Wang Hao presided, publicly denouncing his former colleague. Attendees pledged loyalty to the central leadership and voiced firm support for the investigation.
Afterward, Party groups within the provincial People’s Congress, government, and political consultative conference also held meetings expressing support for the probe and declaring they would “draw a clear line” from Yi — moves widely seen as political distancing.△
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