On March 4, 2026, the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held its fourth session in Beijing. Of the 2,125 committee members expected, 2,078 attended in person. Three Chinese vice-national-level officials—Central Politburo member Ma Xingrui, CPPCC Vice Chairman Chen Wu, and China Democratic National Construction Association (CDNCA) Chairman Hao Mingjin—were all absent. Notably, all three had previously missed multiple important meetings. However, Chen Wu’s deputy Qin Boyong, who had also been absent for about 40 days alongside Hao Mingjin, appeared publicly.
Chen Wu again absent from CPPCC meeting
During the CPPCC meeting on March 4, live footage from state media CCTV showed that the front row of the podium included CPPCC Chairman Wang Huning and Vice Chairpersons Shi Taifeng, Hu Chunhua, Shen Yueyue, Wang Yong, Zhou Qiang, Pabala Gelyangjie, Ho Hau Wah, Leung Chun-ying, Bater, Su Hui, Shao Hong, Gao Yunlong, Mu Hong, Xian Hui, Wang Dongfeng, Jiang Xinzhi, Jiang Zuojun, He Baoxiang, Wang Guangqian, Qin Boyong, Zhu Yongxin, and Yang Zhen. Notably, Chen Wu’s seat was empty, making him the only absent vice chairman among the 23 listed.
X-platform blogger “Sato Peng” posted: “Chen Wu was absent from the opening session of the Two Sessions CPPCC meeting today. Missing such an important occasion, he seems to have run into trouble just like Ma Xingrui. Surprisingly, the first vice-national-level official to face scrutiny this year is not Zhang Qingwei, the NPC vice chairman with close ties to Ma Xingrui, but former Zhuang king Chen Wu.”
Although Chen Wu’s name still appears on the CPPCC website among the 23 vice chairpersons, he has missed multiple meetings:
- March 1, 2026: Missed the 15th meeting of the 14th CPPCC Standing Committee.
- Feb. 6, 2026: Missed the 46th CPPCC Chairpersons’ meeting in Beijing.
“Sato Peng” wrote on March 1, 2026: “The second vice-national-level official to fall this year may be CPPCC Vice Chairman Chen Wu! Chen Wu is from Guangxi and is Zhuang. He was an old superior of Lan Tianli and Jin Xiangjun during their time in Guangxi. From 2013 to 2020, he served as Guangxi Chairman. Lan Tianli succeeded him, so when the Guangxi corruption case erupted, Chen Wu could not escape responsibility. Chen Wu has also missed recent CPPCC Standing Committee meetings since last November, which is a clear precursor to trouble.”
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Netizens speculate that Chen Wu’s long tenure in Guangxi likely connects him to the province’s corruption cases.
According to the CPPCC website, Chen Wu also missed:
- April 29, 2025: 35th CPPCC Chairpersons’ meeting
- May 28, 2025: 36th CPPCC Chairpersons’ meeting
On May 16, 2025, then Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Chairman Lan Tianli was officially removed from office. He had previously served as Chen Wu’s deputy for nearly five years, from November 2011 to January 2018, during Chen Wu’s tenure as Guangxi Chairman (April 2013 – October 2020).
Hao Mingjin absent, Qin Boyong appears publicly
According to Xinhua, at the March 4 CPPCC opening session, other vice-national-level officials on the podium included NPC Vice Chairpersons Li Hongzhong, Wang Dongming, Xiao Jie, Zheng Jianbang, Ding Zhongli, Cai Dafeng, Wu Weihua, He Wei, Tie Ning, Peng Qinghua, Losang Jamcan, Zhang Qingwei, and Shoketeli Zakir. Among the 14 NPC Vice Chairpersons, only CDNCA Chairman Hao Mingjin was absent.
X-platform blogger “China Personnel Observer” wrote: “Hao Mingjin missed the preparatory meeting for the Fourth Session of the NPC, the first meeting of the NPC Presidium, and the NPC Standing Committee Chairpersons’ meeting on March 4.”
Previously, Hao Mingjin had also missed the Feb. 25, 2026, 21st meeting of the 14th NPC Standing Committee. Despite still appearing on the NPC Presidium list for this year, he has consistently missed NPC Standing Committee meetings since October 2025.
The last public appearance of Hao Mingjin was on September 29, 2025, presiding over a CDNCA central leadership meeting, during which CPPCC Vice Chairman Qin Boyong was absent. Hao Mingjin continued to miss multiple NPC and CDNCA meetings in late October 2025, including the so-called Fourth Plenary Session discussions. Qin Boyong also missed multiple CPPCC meetings at the same time.
On Oct. 25, 2025, during the “80th Anniversary of Taiwan’s Recovery” conference, 20 national-level officials attended, including NPC Vice Chairpersons, CPPCC Vice Chairpersons, and heads of major democratic parties. Hao Mingjin and Qin Boyong were both absent.
This raised speculation about a possible connection between Hao Mingjin and Qin Boyong’s simultaneous absences. On October 30, 2025, Australian-based commentator Jiang Wangzheng posted on X-platform: “CDNCA Chairman Hao Mingjin and Executive Vice Chairman Qin Boyong are under investigation. Vice Chairman Shen Jinqiang is cooperating. It’s a nest case!”
At the March 4 CPPCC session, Politburo member Ma Xingrui was also absent, fueling further speculation that these three vice-national-level officials—Chen Wu, Hao Mingjin, and Ma Xingrui—may be in serious trouble.
Notably, although Hao Mingjin and Qin Boyong had both been absent for multiple meetings and were said to have been “missing for at least 40 days,” Qin Boyong attended the “80th Anniversary of the China Democratic National Construction Association” on Dec. 17, 2025, and delivered a speech.
According to Hong Kong media Sing Tao Headlines, Hao Mingjin did not attend the conference, citing “health reasons.” On March 4, 2026, Qin Boyong appeared in the front row of the CPPCC podium as a vice chairman and was visible in live CCTV coverage.
By Li Deyan
