Hu Chunhua's Absence from 'Long March' Commemoration Raises Concerns; Exclusive Report Unveils the Details

Composite image: Hu Chunhua and Wang Yang are rumoured to become successors.

[People News] On the eve of the sensitive period leading up to the Fifth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China, Hu Chunhua, a prominent figure from the Youth League faction and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was notably absent from the so-called 'Long March' commemoration meeting held on October 22, 2026, which has attracted public attention.

Currently, various rumours are circulating online, with some suggesting that Hu Chunhua and his family have gone missing and may be in danger; others speculate that he might be under military protection to prevent a recurrence of incidents involving Zhang Youxia.

However, The Dajiyuan has published an exclusive report today that refutes both of these claims.

According to The Dajiyuan, on October 24, an insider close to the upper echelons of the Communist Party, using the pseudonym Huai Ming, informed The Dajiyuan that Hu Chunhua's absence was due to health issues, emphasising that high-ranking officials are also susceptible to illness.

At 63 years old, Hu Chunhua is a representative of the Youth League faction and originates from Wufeng, Hubei. He began his political career within the Tibet Youth League system and has visited Tibet twice. In 2006, he returned to Beijing to serve as the First Secretary of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Youth League. His previous roles include Governor of Hebei Province, Secretary of the Party Committee of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee. He became a member of the Central Political Bureau during the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party in 2012.

Hu Chunhua maintains a close relationship with former Party leader Hu Jintao and is viewed as Hu Jintao's designated 'successor' from a previous generation. However, he did not attain a position on the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau during the 19th National Congress and subsequently took on the role of Vice Premier. At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party in October 2022, Hu Chunhua was not re-elected as a member of the Political Bureau and transitioned to the role of Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference the following year, stepping back into a secondary role, which has led to him being humorously dubbed the '废太子' (废 meaning 'waste' or 'discarded', and 太子 meaning 'crown prince').

Although Hu Chunhua currently holds a position in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), his actions continue to attract attention. Recently, there have been numerous rumours about his possible return to a higher political role. However, Huai Ming told The Dajiyuan that Hu Chunhua's political prospects are effectively over, having moved from the Politburo to the CPPCC.

Huai Ming also disclosed an unspoken rule regarding power struggles at high levels: 'If you don't advance, you retreat.' This implies that failing to secure a desired position can lead to the risk of being sidelined. 'Once you fail to advance, you become susceptible to being pulled down; this is the current reality.'

He provided the example of former Politburo member Ma Xingrui, who has been actively seeking a promotion. Had there been no issues, he could have been appointed to the Standing Committee in next year's reshuffle, but he was unexpectedly removed from his position. Ma Xingrui was dismissed in April this year.

As for the online rumours about Hu Chunhua's family being unreachable, Huai Ming clarified that this is not true. He mentioned that he recently saw Hu Chunhua's son at a horse racing event.

'I can't say whether he was discussing business or socialising with friends; we caught a glimpse of his son at the event, and he is a serious businessman,' he remarked.

In Huai Ming's perspective, members of the Youth League faction, or the entire Hu Jintao faction, are not primarily motivated by money. 'Those in the Youth League are more enamoured with power; they are not particularly interested in making money.'

He also pointed out that Li Keqiang's family does not have substantial assets. 'Huang Qifan and others have accumulated tens of billions through corruption, but even though Li Keqiang's wife has worked with state-owned enterprises, she wouldn't be able to produce a few hundred million. Which premier's family doesn't have a few hundred billion, right?'

Huai Ming remarked that the third generation of princelings is eager to make money, while the Tuanpai primarily consists of individuals from the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League or scholars, who do not employ as many schemes to generate wealth. Aside from the erratic behaviour of Ling Jihua's son, Hu Jintao's son has also not been involved in any projects. Wang Yang's daughter might have gained some advantages in business due to her father's influence, but she does not act irresponsibly.

Huai Ming pointed out that Li Keqiang and Hu Chunhua have not faced any corruption-related issues, stating, 'Compared to other families, they don't even have a fraction; how can you combat that?'

Expert on Chinese issues, Li Linyi, noted that there are various reasons for high-ranking officials' absences from meetings within the Chinese Communist Party, but unless they are seriously ill, they typically do not miss them. Whether Hu Chunhua has been further purged in the ongoing power struggle remains to be seen; confirmation will depend on whether he makes a public appearance later.

Independent commentator Cai Shenkun expressed a cautious stance regarding the possibility of Hu Chunhua being investigated. On the 23rd, he wrote on X: 'Before the Fifth Plenary Session, targeting a Tuanpai remnant that has long submitted is meaningless for Xi Jinping; Hu Chunhua does not pose any threat to Xi's re-election.'

Cai Shenkun added that if Hu Chunhua continues to serve until the 21st National Congress, it will indeed be a headache for Xi, as Hu Chunhua will not yet reach the retirement age for ministerial-level positions next year. If he remains a central committee member at the 21st National Congress, he cannot stay in the CPPCC, but moving to the National People's Congress would only elevate Hu Chunhua's standing within the party.

He stated: "I am relatively cautious in my assessment of Hu Chunhua's absence from the 90th anniversary celebration of the Red Army's Long March. It is possible that Hu Chunhua is either unwell or not in Beijing. We will have to wait and see if he makes an appearance at the Fifth Plenary Session; it is unlikely that the Politburo will address Hu Chunhua's political future before that meeting." △