By Li Deyan, Vision Times
China’s top political advisory body has become the latest arena of scrutiny after two vice state-level officials were once again absent from a major meeting. The repeated no-shows of CPPCC Vice Chairpersons Qin Boyong and Chen Wu have fueled online commentary and renewed questions about whether Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive is expanding further into the upper ranks.
Qin Boyong and Chen Wu absent again
According to state media Xinhua, the 15th Standing Committee meeting of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) convened in Beijing on March 1, 2026. The meeting announced that the Fourth Session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee will open on March 4.
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Politburo Standing Committee member and CPPCC Vice Chairman Wang Huning attended the opening session. Politburo member and CPPCC Vice Chairman Shi Taifeng presided. Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Wang Dongfeng delivered related reports.
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Among the vice chairpersons listed as present were Hu Chunhua, Shen Yueyue, Wang Yong, Zhou Qiang, Bater, Ho Hau Wah, Leung Chun-ying, Shao Hong, Su Hui, Mu Hong, Gao Yunlong, and Jiang Xinzhi, among others, amounting to 18 in total. Notably absent were also Vice Chairpersons Qin Boyong and Chen Wu.
X platform blogger “China Personnel Watch” wrote: “Chen Wu, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), continues to be absent from CPPCC activities. He attended the 14th meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC in October-November last year, and has since been absent from several CPPCC activities. Qin Boyong, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC, was also absent from this Standing Committee meeting. Qin Boyong has been absent from CPPCC activities since September last year, then reappeared, and this time he is absent again.”
“Xi Jinping has even pursued us to the CPPCC?” wrote one netizen sarcastically.
A pattern of disappearances
Qin Boyong, born in November 1964 in Hebei Province, rose through local judicial and supervisory posts before serving as vice governor of Hebei and later deputy auditor general of the National Audit Office. In December 2022, she became executive vice chairperson of the China Democratic National Construction Association (CDNCA), and in March 2023 she was elected CPPCC vice chairperson, elevating her to vice state-level rank.
Since late September 2025, however, Qin has repeatedly missed high-profile sessions of both the CPPCC and the National People’s Congress, as well as internal meetings of the CDNCA. On Oct. 30, 2025, Australia-based commentator Jiang Wangzheng posted on X: “Hao Mingjin, Chairman of the China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA), and Qin Boyong, Executive Vice Chairman, are under investigation. Vice Chairman Shen Jinqiang is cooperating with the investigation. This is a case of corruption now involving multiple individuals.”
Though Qin reappeared publicly at the 80th anniversary ceremony of the CDNCA in December 2025, she was absent again from a Feb. 6, CPPCC chairpersons’ meeting, and from the March 1 Standing Committee session. Her intermittent visibility has fueled speculation that her political status remains uncertain.
Chen Wu and the Guangxi connection
Chen Wu, born in November 1954 in Guangxi, built a long career in regional governance, serving as chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government from 2013 to 2020 before moving to national-level roles. He was elected CPPCC vice chairperson in March 2023.
Chen also missed several key CPPCC chairpersons’ meetings in 2025, including sessions on April 29 and May 28. His absences coincided with the downfall of his former subordinate, Lan Tianli, then chairman of the Guangxi regional government. On May 16, 2025, Lan was officially announced as under investigation.
Lan had served as Chen’s deputy for nearly five years. After Lan’s removal, several officials in Guangxi were investigated, including figures linked to both Lan’s and Chen’s hometown networks. Some analysts suggest Chen’s low profile may be connected to the broader Guangxi investigations, though no official explanation has been provided.
Political signals from the CPPCC?
The CPPCC, often described as part of the CCP’s “United Front” system, has traditionally been viewed as a comparatively stable political platform. Yet the repeated absence of two vice state-level leaders, without formal announcements, has drawn attention.
In China’s opaque political system, prolonged absences from key meetings are often interpreted as warning signs. While neither Qin nor Chen has been formally announced as under investigation, the pattern mirrors past cases in which officials disappeared from public view before disciplinary action was confirmed.
Whether these developments represent isolated cases or signal a widening sweep into the upper tiers of the advisory system remains unclear. For now, the absence of two vice state-level figures underscores a persistent reality in Chinese elite politics: Even high-ranking positions within ostensibly consultative bodies offer no guaranteed political insulation.
Editorial note: Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Vision Times.
