Major Personnel Reshuffle After Politburo Meeting Ahead of the Fourth Plenum

On March 5, 2025, PLA delegates arrive at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to attend the opening of the National People's Congress. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

[People News] On September 30, one day after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo meeting, a large-scale reshuffle of senior provincial officials took place across mainland China. Sun Shaocheng, former Party Secretary of Inner Mongolia, was dismissed, and Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong was appointed to replace him. Shenzhen Party Secretary Meng Fanli, in turn, was promoted to take Wang Weizhong’s position. Analysts believe that although Sun Shaocheng has reached retirement age, his removal may be linked to the downfall of former Inner Mongolia Chairwoman Wang Lixia, who may have implicated him after her fall.

At the Politburo meeting held on September 29, it was announced that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee would convene in Beijing from October 20 to 23. The announcement also noted that the meeting had “studied other matters.” These “other matters” often have little to do with the meeting’s official theme but are highly important, usually relating to personnel arrangements. Typically, such personnel adjustments are publicly announced the following day.

According to the WeChat public account “Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People’s Government Release” on September 30, the CCP Central Committee has decided that Wang Weizhong—Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Group of the Provincial Government, and Governor of Guangdong—would become a member, Standing Committee member, and Secretary of the Inner Mongolia Party Committee. Former Party Secretary Sun Shaocheng will no longer serve in those positions due to reaching retirement age. Meng Fanli, another Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and Party Secretary of Shenzhen, will succeed Wang Weizhong as Secretary of the Party Group of the Provincial Government.

Public records show that Wang Weizhong, born in March 1962 in Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, holds a degree in Management Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University. He is a member of the 20th Central Committee, with a professional background in water conservancy science and technology. He has served as Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Standing Committee member and Secretary-General of the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee, Party Secretary of Taiyuan, Standing Committee member of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, and Party Secretary of Shenzhen.

Meng Fanli, born in September 1965 in Linyi, Shandong Province, holds a doctorate in economics and is a professor. He is also a member of the 20th Central Committee. He spent much of his career in Shandong, and previously served as a Standing Committee member and Deputy Party Secretary of Inner Mongolia, as well as Party Secretary of Baotou.

According to Party media Xinhua News Agency, Sun Shaocheng is stepping down from his posts as Party Secretary, Standing Committee member, and member of the Inner Mongolia Party Committee due to age. Sun, born in July 1960, has served as Vice Minister and Deputy Party Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Party Secretary and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources, and in March 2018 became Minister and Party Secretary of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. In April 2022, he was appointed Party Secretary of Inner Mongolia.

The Inner Mongolia government’s official website shows in the “Government Leadership” section that Bao Gang, currently Deputy Party Secretary of the Inner Mongolia Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Group of the Autonomous Region Government, and Party Secretary of Hohhot, is expected to fill the vacancy left by the fallen Chairwoman Wang Lixia.

Public records show Bao Gang, an ethnic Mongol, was born in May 1969 in Fuxin, Liaoning Province, and holds a graduate degree from the Inner Mongolia Party School.

In addition, the reshuffle included the following: former Jiangsu Governor Xu Kunlin was appointed a member, Standing Committee member, and Party Secretary of Liaoning; Hao Peng will no longer serve as Party Secretary, Standing Committee member, or member of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee. Liu Xiaotao, Deputy Party Secretary of Jiangsu, has been appointed Secretary of the Party Group of the Provincial Government, and is expected to succeed Xu Kunlin as Jiangsu Governor after Xu’s transfer to Liaoning.

Independent political commentator Du Wen, former Executive Director of the Inner Mongolia Government’s Legal Affairs Office, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Sun Shaocheng’s removal is connected to Wang Lixia’s downfall and her potential implication of him.

Du Wen disclosed that after Sun Shaocheng took over as Party Secretary of Inner Mongolia, his son frequently visited the region to participate in various activities and became closely associated with Wang Lixia’s son. It was only before the Central Inspection Team’s visit in June this year that Sun’s son was forced to leave. Together, the two families were involved in a wide range of activities—covering project contracting, personnel reshuffles, and mining development. Du suggested that Sun will likely be investigated by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), or he may be temporarily shifted to the National People’s Congress to “cool off” before facing punishment.

Du concluded that Sun’s future looks grim.

Independent commentator Cai Shenkun noted on X that last week, there were rumours that Wang Weizhong would become Liaoning Party Secretary, but instead, he was appointed Party Secretary of Inner Mongolia.

Cai analysed that Wang Weizhong is already 63, and under normal circumstances can only serve another two years at the ministerial level. Compared with Liaoning, Inner Mongolia is a less favourable posting. Liaoning Party Secretary Hao Peng also stepped down due to reaching retirement age. Wang’s transfer to Inner Mongolia, rather than Liaoning, reflects a compromise. Earlier this year, many ministerial-level leadership positions opened up. Wang originally did not want to leave Guangdong, and Guangdong Party Secretary Huang Kunming also hoped to keep him there. But Shenzhen Party Secretary Meng Fanli pushed hard, seeking the governor’s seat, and successfully manoeuvred into the role. As for Sun Shaocheng, his dismissal is partly due to age and partly because of the scandal of Wang Lixia, the “beauty chairwoman.” The Party Secretary naturally could not remain untouched. However, since Sun is originally from Haiyang, Shandong, he may not have been heavily influenced by Wang Lixia.

Commentators on X added that a previous Inner Mongolia Party Secretary, eager to demonstrate loyalty to Xi Jinping, launched a “retroactive 30-year investigation movement,” which, in practice, dragged governance backwards by 30 years. As a result, today’s Inner Mongolian officials are largely incompetent, knowing little, avoiding responsibility, and dragging out approvals—minor contracts can take six months, and major contracts may sit unsigned for two years. △