Shanghai's Second "Tiger" Falls, Unveiling Shocking Scandals of Jiang Zemin's Family

On November 27, 2024, Zhu Zhizong, a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Party Secretary of Pudong New Area, was announced to have been dismissed. Zhu, who comes from a military-industrial background, previously served as the director of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau. Both his predecessor and successor in this position have also been implicated in scandals or disciplinary actions. (Composite image by Dajiyuan)

[People News] Zhu Zhizong, a CCP official with a military-industrial background and the Party Secretary of Pudong New Area in Shanghai, was reported on November 27, 2024, to have been removed from his position. Zhu is the first Party Secretary of Pudong New Area to fall in the 32 years since its establishment. He is also the second high-ranking official ("tiger") in Shanghai to be ousted since the CCP's 20th National Congress, following Dong Yunhu, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People's Congress.

Zhu Zhizong spent many years in key roles within the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau. His career path shows extensive connections with senior executives in the aerospace and military-industrial sectors, many of whom have also been implicated in scandals or disciplinary investigations.

Zhu Zhizong's Former Colleague Dai Shoulun Falls from Power

55-year-old Zhu Zhizong, a native of Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology and spent much of his early career in the Shanghai aerospace system working on military products. From June 2000 to 2014, he held various positions, including Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Director, and Deputy Party Secretary of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau.

The Shanghai Aerospace Bureau, also known as the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) or the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), is one of CASC’s three main research institutes and a critical backbone of China's aerospace industry. It is headquartered in Minhang District, Shanghai.

According to Economic Observer, Zhu Zhizong’s case is related to the anti-corruption campaign targeting the aerospace and military sectors since 2023, as he had worked in this field for an extended period.

Zhu Zhizong had close interactions with Dai Shoulun, a military-industrial system official who was removed from his post on August 22, 2024.

Dai, 52, a native of Qingdao, Shandong Province, began working in 1994 at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and spent 25 years in the CCP’s aerospace system. In April 2009, Dai became Deputy Director of the Fifth Academy of CASC. In September 2011, Dai was transferred to the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau (SAST), where he served as Party Secretary and Deputy Director, as well as Vice Chairman of Shanghai Aerospace Industrial Corporation. During this time, he worked closely with Zhu Zhizong. In July 2014, Dai succeeded Zhu as Director and Deputy Party Secretary of SAST, while also serving as Chairman of Shanghai Aerospace Industrial Corporation. Due to his achievements in rocket launches and satellite projects, Dai was lauded by state media as a "young leader in aerospace."

In 2019, Dai Shoulun was transferred to Harbin as Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, and in March 2023, he was appointed Party Secretary of Mudanjiang City. His downfall came shortly thereafter.

Zhu Zhizong's Former Superior Yuan Jie Suspected of Being Investigated

On April 12, 2024, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) held a management meeting announcing Chen Ximing as the new Chairman and Party Secretary of CASIC. This marked the end of 58-year-old Yuan Jie's tenure as Chairman and Party Secretary of CASIC. Chen Ximing previously served as a Director, General Manager, and Deputy Party Secretary of the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC).

What stands out is the lack of the customary announcement from CCP state media about Yuan Jie's removal, and no information regarding his subsequent whereabouts has been disclosed to this day.

In mid-September 2023, mainland Chinese journalist Zhao Lanjian revealed that several key officials in the military-industrial complex were known to have been investigated. These include Liu Shiquan, Chairman of China North Industries Group Corporation; Yuan Jie, Chairman of CASIC; Chen Guoying, General Manager of China South Industries Group Corporation; and Tan Ruisong, former Chairman of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), who was removed from his post in March 2023. According to reports, all were taken away by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

Yuan Jie's last public appearance was from September 2 to 3, 2023, during a research visit to Chengdu. Social media rumors claim that after visiting Xi'an, Yuan was taken into custody shortly after returning to Beijing airport.

Yuan Jie, born in August 1965 in Shanghai with ancestral roots in Qidong City, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, graduated in 1986 from the National University of Defense Technology with a degree in Aircraft Systems Engineering. He spent much of his career at the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau (SAST). He served as a designer, deputy director, and deputy head of the 805 Institute under SAST. From January 2002 to February 2004, he was Director (Dean) and Party Committee Member of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau (SAST). From February 2004 to October 2008, he served as Director and Deputy Party Secretary. In October 2008, he was promoted to a Party Leadership Group Member and Deputy General Manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). In June 2018, he became a Director, General Manager, and Deputy Party Secretary of CASC, and in June 2020, he was appointed Chairman and Party Secretary of CASIC.

Zhu Zhizong started serving as Deputy Director of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau (SAST) in February 2002, working as Yuan Jie's deputy for over six years. In November 2008, Zhu succeeded Yuan Jie as Director of SAST.

Former Superior of Zhu Zhizong, Wu Yansheng, Removed from CPPCC Membership

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is a major state-owned enterprise under the CCP, specializing in the design, manufacturing, launch, and maintenance of aerospace products. Its operations include spacecraft launches, manned missions, and satellites (communications, meteorological, scientific, and Earth resource satellites) as well as strategic and tactical missiles. The "Shenzhou" manned spacecraft series and "Long March" carrier rockets are among its flagship products.

Since July 2023, following the exposure of corruption within the CCP Rocket Force, several senior military officials have fallen, including two consecutive Ministers of Defense, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, as well as former Rocket Force Commander Zhou Yaning and then-Commander Li Yuchao. This anti-corruption campaign spread to the military-industrial sector, implicating numerous executives.

On December 27, 2023, Wu Yansheng, Chairman of CASC, was stripped of his membership in the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Born in 1963 in Hubei Province, Wu graduated from the First Design Department of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. He joined CASC in January 2002, becoming Deputy General Manager in November 2007, General Manager in May 2014, and Chairman in May 2018.

Yuan Jie, Zhu Zhizong, and Dai Shoulun all served under Wu Yansheng during his leadership at CASC.

Zhu Zhizong and his predecessors and successors successively led the Shanghai Aerospace City project.

Notably, Yuan Jie, Zhu Zhizong, and Dai Shoulun successively managed the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau from 2002 to 2019, directly overseeing the Shanghai Aerospace City project.

In early 2003, Yuan Jie, then head of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau, and Yang Kaiping, General Manager of Shanghai Xinzhuang Industrial Zone, agreed to establish Shanghai Aerospace City in Xinzhuang. The plan involved relocating the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau headquarters and affiliated research institutes from Caobao Road to Xinzhuang Industrial Zone.

In August 2003, Minhang District Party Secretary Huang Furong, Shanghai Aerospace Bureau Party Secretary Wang Qiuyu, and Yuan Jie formalized plans to allocate nearly one square kilometer within the industrial zone as a base for the city's aerospace management, research, and living facilities. Despite a land shortage, Minhang District reallocated land from ongoing and reserved projects to meet the needs of Aerospace City.

From the beginning of negotiations in early 2003 to the end of the year, the first project of Aerospace City broke ground.

In 2004, CASC and the Shanghai municipal government announced a joint investment in a five-square-kilometer aerospace industrial park in Pujiang Town, Minhang District. This initiative established aerospace as the core industry for Minhang's future development, giving rise to the term "Aerospace Minhang."

In January 2006, Yuan Jie, then director of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau, stated that the first phase of Shanghai Aerospace City, with an investment exceeding 1 billion RMB, was expected to be largely completed by 2010. According to the draft of Shanghai's 11th Five-Year Plan, the city aimed to establish several industrial clusters in areas such as satellite applications and carrier rockets. Yuan Jie remarked that satellite and rocket research and development were Shanghai's strengths, and building Shanghai Aerospace City was a crucial step in forming these industrial clusters.

Yuan Jie stated that construction of the physical infrastructure for Aerospace City began in the fall of 2005, with the first phase expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2006. Following this, the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau headquarters and various research institutes based in Shanghai would gradually relocate to the new site. By 2010, when the second phase of Aerospace City was fully operational, total investment was projected to increase to 2 to 3 billion RMB.

In May 2007, mainland media reported that three major projects forming the core of Aerospace City—an Aerospace Technology R&D Center, an Aerospace Science Park, and an Aerospace Industrial Base—were steadily advancing. The first phase of the Aerospace Technology R&D Center was scheduled for completion and operational use later that year.

The R&D Center aimed to integrate five institutes and one department from Shanghai’s aerospace system. Once completed, it would bring together over 6,000 top aerospace professionals in the city to conduct research and development across multiple fields, including rockets, satellites, spacecraft, and deep space exploration. Key projects would include manned spaceflight, the second phase of the "Chang’e Project," and Mars exploration missions.

During Zhu Zhizong's tenure as head of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau, the second phase of Shanghai Aerospace City commenced on March 29, 2010. The construction of Division 8 and the 805 Institute marked the beginning of this phase. Senior officials, including Lei Fanpei (Deputy General Manager of CASC) and Bian Zhigang (Deputy Director of the Systems Engineering Department of the National Defense Science and Technology Bureau), attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Lei highlighted the importance of these projects for advancing the second phase of Aerospace City.

From 2014 to 2019, during Dai Shoulun’s tenure as head of the Eighth Academy, over 30 joint laboratories and overseas research centers were established, further solidifying Shanghai Aerospace City's role as a hub for advanced aerospace innovation.

Zheng Enchong: Jiang Zemin's Palace Allegedly Built Within Shanghai Aerospace City

Shanghai-based human rights lawyer Zheng Enchong revealed in an interview with Dajiyuan on December 23, 2007, that after exposing the involvement of Jiang Zemin's two sons in land grabs linked to the Zhou Zhengyi case, he received significant public support and additional whistleblower reports. Among the materials were multiple accounts alleging Jiang Zemin's involvement in large-scale land appropriations in Shanghai to build a private palace and a memorial hall.

Zheng stated that rumors of Jiang Zemin's palace in Shanghai have circulated for some time. "The Shanghai municipal government, along with Chen Liangyu, Huang Ju, and others, built Jiang Zemin a large villa-palace in Minhang District," he said.

According to the whistleblower materials, Jiang Zemin's son, Jiang Mianheng, president of the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, acquired over 10,000 acres of land in Minhang District under the pretense of jointly developing the Zizhu Science Park with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Minhang government. Near this science park, Jiang Mianheng allegedly appropriated additional land to develop an aerospace city, relocating the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau to Minhang. Jiang Zemin's palace was reportedly constructed within the aerospace city.

Zheng explained, "Jiang Mianheng himself is the deputy commander of China's manned spaceflight program and holds a military post. Using this position and Jiang Zemin’s authority as the chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission, they justified building a palace for Jiang Zemin within the aerospace city. These materials have been verified as credible."

The whistleblower materials described Jiang Zemin's palace as extraordinarily luxurious, surpassing the scale of Mao Zedong’s former Shanghai residence, the Shanghai West Suburb Guesthouse.

Jiang Mianheng's Involvement in Aerospace and Military-Industrial Scandals

From November 1999 to January 2011, Jiang Mianheng served as vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), overseeing the development of high-tech research. Starting in 2003, he represented CAS as deputy commander of China’s manned spaceflight program, serving as deputy commander for the Shenzhou 5, 6, and 7 missions. He also held positions as the chief scientist for the “Innovation-1” small satellite and deputy commander of the Chang'e lunar exploration project. Jiang Mianheng has been deeply involved in China’s manned spaceflight and lunar programs and is regarded as a behind-the-scenes figure in the country’s defense science and technology sector.

On March 12, 2024, Australian-based scholar Yuan Hongbing disclosed to Dajiyuan that a high-profile investigation targeting disloyalty to Xi Jinping—triggered by the downfall of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang and former Defense Minister Li Shangfu—was still expanding. The probe implicated senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force, and major military-industrial enterprises.

Yuan further revealed that during the investigation, then-commander of the CCP Strategic Support Force Ju Qiansheng and former Rocket Force political commissar Xu Zhongbo admitted that the case had direct connections to Jiang Mianheng.

Yuan stated that the CCP views Jiang Mianheng and his associates as part of a political faction rooted in corruption and power-money transactions. These individuals reportedly criticized Xi Jinping's governance in private, non-organized settings.

Previously, Yuan Hongbing had told Dajiyuan that insiders in the CCP believe high-ranking military-industrial executives and senior officials within the Rocket Force and Strategic Support Force maintain close ties with Jiang Zemin and Jiang Mianheng. These connections extend beyond shared corrupt financial interests to political alliances.

According to CAS’s official website, Jiang Mianheng visited the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on September 24, 2011, to “offer support” and met with officials from the launch center and CASC.

The Shanghai Aerospace Bureau and Shanghai Aerospace City—heavily influenced by Jiang Zemin and Jiang Mianheng—serve as key bases for China’s aerospace and military-industrial backbone. These entities maintain close ties with the military and advanced defense systems, harboring not only massive corruption but also links to anti-Xi activities within the military.

The fall of Zhu Zhizong, a Shanghai deputy-ministerial-level official, and the successive scandals involving three consecutive directors of the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau, suggest that the military and military-industrial purges are intensifying and have reached Jiang Zemin’s stronghold in Shanghai. Whether Jiang Mianheng and other members of the Jiang family will be implicated remains a focal point in China’s evolving political landscape.

(First published by Dajiyuan on November 28, 2024)