By Li Jingyao, Vision Times
The political turmoil in Xi’an has intensified following the arrests and mysterious deaths of several high-ranking officials tied to Xi Jinping’s network. Now, reports suggest that Hu Haifeng, son of former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Hu Jintao, may have been “air-dropped” into Xi’an to take over as Party Secretary — a move observers say signals a dramatic shift in power within the CCP.
Sources indicate Hu’s sudden appointment follows the downfall of Fang Hongwei, Xi’an’s Party Secretary and one of Xi Jinping’s closest local allies, along with the suspicious death of former CPPCC Chairman Yue Huafeng. Analysts believe the reshuffling shows how the once-stable political order under Xi is beginning to fracture.
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Fang Hongwei detained
According to Chinese political blogger Jiang Wangzheng, Fang Hongwei — a member of the Shaanxi Provincial Standing Committee and Party Secretary of Xi’an — was abruptly detained on Nov. 5 by the CCP’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) while visiting the Guanyin Temple in Xi’an’s Chang’an District. He and four secretaries were reportedly taken into custody and transferred to Tianjin for investigation.
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Two days later, the CCDI officially confirmed that Fang was under investigation for “serious disciplinary and legal violations.” Jiang claimed that a special task force was immediately established, and mass arrests across Shaanxi Province and Xi’an began the next day.
Reports indicate Fang had already missed several key events before his detention. His case, insiders say, may involve Xi Jinping’s younger brother, Xi Yuanping, and an extensive corruption network centered in the Xi’an–Xixian New Area.
Hu Haifeng’s appointment raises eyebrows
On Nov. 8, Jiang Wangzheng revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Hu Haifeng, currently a Vice Minister of Civil Affairs, would be appointed Xi’an Party Secretary and Shaanxi Provincial Standing Committee member, with plans under review to promote him further to Shaanxi Deputy Party Secretary.
If true, Hu’s appointment would mark a striking political comeback for the Tuanpai (Communist Youth League faction) — once led by Hu Jintao and sidelined during Xi’s decade-long consolidation of power.
Though Hu Haifeng holds vice-ministerial rank, he is neither a full nor alternate Central Committee member, only a delegate to the CCP’s 20th National Congress and the 13th National People’s Congress. The Xi’an Party Secretary post is vice-provincial level, fitting his current rank. But promotion to Deputy Party Secretary would be a “leapfrog” appointment — an unusual move, though not unprecedented under Xi’s rule.
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Indeed, Xi has repeatedly broken hierarchical norms to elevate loyalists. In 2018, he amended the Constitution to abolish presidential term limits. In 2022, He Weidong was unexpectedly promoted three ranks to become Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, stunning political watchers.
More recently, He Hongjun was rapidly elevated to General and Executive Deputy Director of the CMC’s Political Work Department, bypassing senior officers — only to be purged months later in a major anti-corruption campaign. Analysts note that such irregular promotions have eroded traditional CCP structures, paving the way for political volatility.
Xi Yuanping implicated in Xi’an corruption scandal
According to Jiang’s sources, Hu Haifeng’s appointment is not merely personnel reshuffling — it’s a direct response to a scandal engulfing Xi Yuanping, Xi Jinping’s brother, who has reportedly been implicated in major corruption cases in Xi’an and Xixian New Area.
The fallout has weakened Xi’s control over key appointments in Shaanxi, forcing what one insider called a “tactical retreat” to appease rival factions.
Jiang revealed that three candidates were under consideration for Shaanxi Deputy Party Secretary: Hu Haifeng, Chen Zhichang (a Party official from Inner Mongolia), and Ye Niuping (Xi’an’s current mayor). Hu was reportedly ranked first — a sign that internal factional checks and balances remain active within the CCP.
Hu Haifeng’s sudden rise
Hu has been appearing prominently in state media in recent weeks — a development that sparked speculation even before the Xi’an rumors.
On Oct. 10, he attended a high-profile press briefing at the State Council Information Office alongside Civil Affairs Minister Lu Zhiyuan and other deputies. Yet, Chinese media curiously highlighted Hu’s comments over his superiors’. The Daily Economic News placed his remarks before those of Minister Lu, while China News Service mentioned only Hu, omitting all other officials entirely.
Another signal came on Sept. 23, when the Turkish Ambassador to China, Selçuk Ünal, paid a courtesy visit to Hu Haifeng — a meeting observers found highly unusual given Hu’s relatively low rank. The Turkish Embassy’s official Facebook page confirmed the meeting, noting that “Ambassador Selçuk Ünal paid a courtesy visit to Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Hu Haifeng to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation.”
Commentator Tang Jingyuan said the visit sent “a clear signal that Xi Jinping’s power is slipping.” He explained, “The ambassador wasn’t visiting a vice minister — he was visiting Hu Jintao’s son. In other words, the international community already knows Xi is losing authority.”
Mass arrests, mysterious death in Xi’an
As rumors of Hu Haifeng’s appointment circulated, Xi’an’s political upheaval deepened. Jiang reported that nearly 100 officials in Xi’an and nearby Xixian New Area were detained as the CCDI expanded its probe.
Meanwhile, Yue Huafeng, former chairman of the Xi’an CPPCC, allegedly jumped to his death under pressure. Although authorities have not confirmed his death, multiple sources describe him as “missing.”
Yue, like Fang Hongwei, was a local official who had served as Party Secretary of Xixian New Area before becoming CPPCC Chairman in 2017. Fang, promoted from Hanzhong to Xi’an Party Secretary in 2021, had worked closely with Yue for years.
Xi’s crumbling power network
Fang Hongwei’s detention has sparked widespread speculation about a broader purge. According to Hong Kong’s Ming Pao, a local business insider claimed that Fang “not only engaged in corruption himself but allowed his wife and sister to use his influence for massive personal gain.”
Jiang Wangzheng also revealed that Fang’s case is tied to Yao Lijun, Xi’an’s former propaganda chief and ex-chairman of Qujiang Cultural Industry Investment Co., accused of large-scale embezzlement.
Commentator Zhang Tianliang said Yao initially bragged of his immunity as “a protégé of Xi Yuanping.” Reportedly, embezzled funds were split 60% to Xi Yuanping, 20% to Fang Hongwei, and 20% to Yao himself. In one transaction alone, Yao transferred HK$180 million to Fang’s Hong Kong account — implying Xi Yuanping received at least HK$540 million.
According to leaked sources, Yao turned on his superiors during interrogation, handing over WeChat messages and currency exchange records involving Xi Yuanping and Vice Premier Liu Guozhong. Fang’s wife was also said to have opened three currency exchange firms in Hong Kong.
Xi’s ‘home base’ purged by the elders’ faction
Shaanxi Province — Xi Jinping’s ancestral region — has long been considered a political fortress of the “Xi faction.” Fang Hongwei, a fellow native and schoolmate of Xi, was viewed as a “guardian of Xi’s dragon vein.” His sudden downfall has been widely interpreted as a symbolic strike at Xi’s roots of power.
Commentator Tang Jingyuan said, “Fang Hongwei was one of Xi Yuanping’s closest allies. Even Liu Guozhong, then Shaanxi Party Secretary, had to go through Fang to reach Xi’s brother. Fang’s arrest shows that both Xi and his brother have lost their most trusted insiders.”
Analyst Shan Hedongfu added that the purge bears the fingerprints of Hu Jintao’s camp, working in tandem with military elder Zhang Youxia. “Shaanxi was one of Xi’s earliest political strongholds,” he said. “Now that it’s been uprooted, the Party elders are severing Xi’s last local power network. Fang’s fall is a symbolic reckoning — a clear sign that Xi’s regional influence is being dismantled.”
From Fang Hongwei’s arrest to Yue Huafeng’s reported suicide and Hu Haifeng’s rumored appointment, Xi’an has become a microcosm of political collapse within the CCP. If Hu Haifeng’s “air-drop” is confirmed, analysts say it would mark the full return of the Hu faction and suggest that Xi Jinping’s grip on power has weakened.
As one observer noted, “The roots of Xi’s empire have been dug out. The dragon vein has been severed. What’s rising in its place is the shadow of Hu Jintao’s return.”
Editorial Note: This report draws from official Chinese state media, publicly available footage, and independent expert analysis. Some details remain unverified due to ongoing censorship in China.
