Former Xinjiang official Zhu Changjie, a longtime figure in the region’s public security apparatus, has been placed under investigation, becoming the latest official tied to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) security and law enforcement systems to come under scrutiny in recent months.
On June 20, China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission announced that Zhu, a former member of the Xinjiang regional government party group and former vice chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, was suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” and was undergoing investigation. The official notice did not provide details about the allegations.
Zhu’s investigation marks the latest disciplinary case involving an official who served in Xinjiang during Ma Xingrui’s tenure as regional Party secretary. Ma, a staunch ally of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, was sacked as Xinjiang Party secretary in July 2025 before Chinese authorities announced an official investigation into him in April 2026.
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A long career in Xinjiang’s security system
Zhu spent much of his career in Xinjiang. Public records show that he previously served in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, including as deputy party secretary and party secretary of Yanqi Hui Autonomous County, as well as deputy party secretary of Bayingolin.
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He also held posts in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps before becoming party secretary and director of the Xinjiang Public Security Department. His career placed him in the front ranks of Xinjiang’s public security system during a politically sensitive period.
Zhu became head of the Xinjiang Public Security Department in September 2009, shortly after the July 5 unrest in Urumqi. The violence, which began after Uyghur demonstrators gathered in the regional capital, escalated into deadly clashes between Uyghur and Han Chinese residents. Nearly 200 people were reported killed and more than 1,000 injured.
After the incident, Beijing intensified its security policies in Xinjiang. Zhu served as Xinjiang’s public security chief until 2017. During that period, he also held senior roles connected to the region’s political-legal and paramilitary systems, including positions linked to the Xinjiang Armed Police command.
In March 2010, China News Service quoted Zhu as saying after he became public security chief that authorities had “maintained overall social stability in Xinjiang.” After Zhu’s investigation was announced, the Xinjiang regional party committee held a meeting on June 21, stating its support for the central authorities’ decision and pledging “zero tolerance” for corruption while emphasizing political loyalty.
Role in China’s police association
Zhu retired from his position as Xinjiang vice chairman in January 2018. In September 2021, he became a vice president of the China Police Association, a group supervised by China’s Ministry of Public Security.
The association was renamed and established in 2005. After its 2021 leadership reshuffle, Wang Xiaohong, then party secretary and executive vice minister of the Ministry of Public Security, became its president. Wang later became China’s minister of public security. Zhu was one of several retired senior police officials serving as vice presidents of the association.
Though the China Police Association is formally an industry organization, its close connection to the Ministry of Public Security has drawn attention from China watchers. Zhu appeared in official reports at association-related events and public security forums after his retirement. In April this year, Zhu chaired a work symposium in Bijie, Guizhou, related to Public Security Research, a publication associated with the China Police Association.
Timing draws attention
Zhu’s investigation has drawn additional attention because it came as China’s public security system was already under inspection. In April, China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that a central inspection team had entered the Ministry of Public Security for a routine inspection from mid-April to late June. The team’s window for receiving public complaints was scheduled to close on June 23.
Zhu was placed under investigation on June 20, just days before that period ended. The timing has prompted outside observers to question whether the case is linked to broader scrutiny of personnel networks inside the public security system. However, Chinese authorities have not indicated whether Zhu’s case is connected to the ongoing inspection or to any other officials.
Zhu’s case comes amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that has continued to target retired and serving officials across provincial governments, state institutions, the military, and the security apparatus.
In recent years, Chinese disciplinary authorities have repeatedly emphasized that retirement does not shield officials from investigation. Former officials accused of misconduct years after leaving office have frequently been described in official notices as having failed to maintain political discipline or having abused power during earlier posts.
