CCP Swaps Jobs of 2 Senior Leaders Amid Power Struggle

This is the first time in the CCP’s history that such a role swap among Politburo members has occurred, reports say.

China's Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Shi Taifeng (L) votes next to Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11, 2025. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has swapped the jobs of two high-ranking leaders, an unprecedented move that comes amid widespread speculation about political infighting within the upper ranks.

Shi Taifeng, previously responsible for CCP overseas influence operations, has been appointed to head the Party’s Organization Department, according to a report on Wednesday on the Party’s official website, which refers to him by that title.

Li Ganjie, who formerly managed the Party’s organizational affairs, is stepping into Shi’s previous position, according to a separate report on Wednesday from state media Xinhua. The article called Shi the head of the United Front Work Department, a fact China had not previously announced.

Both Shi and Li are members of the Politburo, the Party’s second-highest leadership panel. Currently composed of 24 members, it is led by Xi Jinping.

The announcements appeared to confirm earlier reports from Hong Kong media, which indicated that this is the first time in the CCP’s history that such a role swap among Politburo members has occurred.

This change occurs amid a series of dramatic reshuffles in recent years at the upper echelons of the Party and the military, with more than a dozen senior commanders and defense industry leaders having been removed from their posts. Among those unseated were two ministers who were deemed to have close ties with Xi, fueling speculation about political infighting among the Party elites. Some analysts have argued that the series of personnel changes may indicate that Xi is facing challenges from factions within his own ranks.

State media did not provide reasons for the swapping of roles, which aligns with the opaque nature of China’s political system.

Shi, 68, had spent more than two decades at the Central Party School, where he was appointed vice president in 2002. From 2007, Shi worked alongside Xi, who was the president there for five years before becoming Party leader in late 2012.

In 2010, Shi rose to head the organization department in Jiangsu Province and became the provincial governor six years later. He also served as a top Party official in Ningxia and Inner Mongolia before being appointed to lead the United Front Work Department during a Party congress in October 2022.

Li, a 60-year-old nuclear safety expert, previously headed the National Nuclear Safety Administration and the department responsible for environmental protection. In 2018, after a sweeping reshuffle of state organs aimed at strengthening Party control, Li became the first minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

In 2021, Li was named the Party chief of Shandong Province in eastern China, and just a year later, he was elevated to Xi’s inner circle, the Politburo.

In April 2023, state media disclosed that Li had succeeded Chen Xi, a trusted ally of the Party chief, to head the Organization Department. Despite stepping down from the CCP’s top bodies, Chen, now 71, continues to work at the Central Party School as its president.

Li Ganjie (R) attends the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on March 4, 2023. Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

The Organization Department oversees the vetting process for new leadership appointments in the Party.

The United Front Work Department focuses on advancing the CCP’s interests abroad, such as carrying out influence operations and suppressing dissident movements. Its authority was expanded during the 2018 reshuffle, which absorbed the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and State Administration for Religious Affairs. This allowed the Party organ to exert control over policies related to overseas Chinese, as well as policies related to religious groups and ethnic minorities, such as Tibetans and Uyghurs.