On May 6, Chinese authorities announced that Fei Gaoyun, the Communist Party secretary of Hefei and a senior official in Anhui Province, was placed under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law,” the standard phrase used in corruption probes involving Chinese officials.
The announcement, published by China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), came after weeks of online rumors and speculation surrounding Fei’s absence from public events.
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Weeks of swirling rumors
Prior to the official announcement, several Chinese-language commentators living overseas had claimed Fei was already under investigation. On April 27, political analysts alleged that Fei had been taken away for questioning while attending training sessions at the Central Party School in Beijing.
Other rumors circulated online claiming Fei encountered problems during a trip to Beijing or that his residence had been searched, though none of those claims were independently verified. Fei’s public appearances also appeared to stop abruptly in mid-April.
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According to local state media reports, Fei last appeared publicly on April 17 while accompanying a delegation from Ningbo led by Zhejiang Deputy Party Secretary Wang Cheng during an inspection tour in Hefei.
Just days later, Anhui Party Secretary Liang Yanshun conducted a high-profile research visit in Hefei, but official reports made no mention of Fei participating, an absence some observers viewed as unusual given his role as the city’s top party official. Local state media reports likewise stopped mentioning Fei after April 20.
Muddying the waters
As rumors spread online, some observers questioned whether certain reports mentioning Fei were intended to counter speculation about his status.
One overseas Chinese-language commentator claimed that state-affiliated media outlets republished older articles involving Fei or issued vague reports about his activities in what was described as an apparent effort to signal he remained politically safe.
The episode drew comparisons online to another recent case involving Liaoning provincial official Jiang Youwei, whose temporary disappearance from public events earlier this year also triggered widespread speculation before state media later briefly mentioned him in an official meeting report.
Subsequent claims later alleged Jiang had died following an apparent suicide attempt, though those reports remain unverified. Analysts and commentators frequently rely on public appearances, state media omissions, and personnel references to track potential political investigations inside China’s opaque political system.
Career ties draw attention
Fei Gaoyun, born in Jiangsu Province in 1971, rose steadily through the ranks of provincial politics, serving in a series of senior roles in Jiangsu and Anhui. His previous positions included vice governor of Jiangsu, secretary of the Jiangsu Political and Legal Affairs Commission, executive vice governor of Anhui, and later Hefei Party secretary. He was also an alternate member of the CCP’s 20th Central Committee.
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Analysts have noted that Fei’s career trajectory overlapped significantly with that of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and senior State Council official Wu Zhenglong, both of whom previously held senior leadership positions in Jiangsu Province. Fei’s rise accelerated during periods when Li and Wu held influential provincial leadership roles there.
During Wu Zhenglong’s tenure as Jiangsu governor and later provincial party secretary, Fei was promoted to vice governor and later executive vice governor-level positions within the provincial leadership structure.
After the CCP’s 20th Party Congress, Wu Zhenglong was elevated to state council secretary-general and became a close aide to Premier Li Qiang. Around the same period, Fei transferred to Anhui and later became Hefei Party secretary in 2025.
Signs of political turmoil at the top
Several former officials connected to Fei’s earlier political base in Changzhou reportedly came under investigation in recent months, further fueling speculation about broader political scrutiny tied to his network. Analysts have also noted that Fei’s predecessor as Hefei Party secretary, Zhang Hongwen, has not appeared publicly for an extended period, pointing to his potential ousting.
While Chinese authorities have provided no details regarding the investigation into Fei, the case has added to growing attention surrounding elite political instability and anti-corruption investigations inside the CCP system.
Observers note that in China’s highly opaque political environment, sudden disappearances from public life often trigger intense speculation long before official announcements are made. The investigation into Fei Gaoyun now appears to confirm at least part of the online speculation that had circulated for weeks among keen China watchers.
