The Industry ministry, which oversees a wide range of advanced technology sectors, didn’t offer any explanation.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Feb. 28 replaced its top official overseeing the industry ministry, two months after he was last seen in public, as part of what appears to be an ongoing purge of the country’s top brass.
Jin Zhuanglong no longer serves as the Party secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
Jin has not been seen publicly since December 2024, fueling speculation about his future, particularly after a series of senior officials were
dismissed following their unexplained disappearances last year.
On Feb. 28, the industry ministry announced in a one-line statement that Jin had been replaced by Li Lecheng without further explanation.
The announcement coincides with the ongoing purge that has seen the downfall of tens of thousands of officials since Xi Jinping came to
power in 2012. The CCP leader had initiated a sweeping campaign under the guise of rooting out corruption to reinforce loyalty to his rule, resulting in the downfall of many Party elites from opposing factions. The infighting between Xi and his political rivals has also led to the removal of his protégé and allies, including former Foreign Minister Qin Gang and former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, from their posts. In 2024 alone, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Party’s top anti-graft agency, revealed that it investigated a record 58 officials at the vice-ministerial level or above.
These rapid and often sudden reshuffles have sparked discussions about infighting within the Party’s top ranks and military, leading some observers to question the true strength of Xi’s grip on power. It remains unclear whether Jin is under investigation. At 60, he has not yet reached China’s customary retirement age for senior officials.
When The Epoch Times checked the industry ministry’s website on Feb. 28, it had already been updated, listing Li Lecheng as the new Party chief. Jin’s name remains on the State Council’s website as the industry minister.
Typically, any changes regarding a minister or state councilor would be announced following the
key annual meetings of the National People’s Congress, the country’s rubber-stamp legislature, which is set to convene in Beijing next week.
An aerospace expert, Jin served as the commander-in-chief of the
C919 project that Beijing hailed as its largest homegrown passenger aircraft. He played a pivotal role from the project’s inception to its maiden flight, according to state media.
In 2017, Jin was promoted to executive deputy director at the Office of the Central Military Civilian Integration Development Commission, guiding the implementation of Beijing’s
military-civil fusion strategy aimed at enhancing communist China’s military with civilian technology.
In July 2022, Jin was appointed the industry ministry’s Party secretary, succeeding Xiao Yaqing, who was later accused of bribery.
The industry ministry is tasked with overseeing policies across various advanced technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and electric vehicles.
