Chinese minister vanishes from public eye

China’s technology minister and a key figure in the country’s push to become a global tech powerhouse Jin Zhuanglong has been removed from his position after two months of being absent from public view.

Jin has not attended any significant government meetings since late December. Extended, unexplained absences of Chinese officials are often linked to anti-corruption investigations, and sources close to the matter believe Jin is under investigation for graft, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

On February 28, the Chinese government announced that Jin had been replaced by Li Lecheng as technology minister, but no further details were provided. Thus, Jin’s removal marks the fourth such dismissal of a sitting cabinet member during President Xi Jinping’s third term, as part of his intensifying anti-corruption and discipline campaign.

Prior to Jin, ministers of defense, agriculture, and foreign affairs had also been removed from office under similar circumstances. Beijing, however, has become increasingly secretive about high-level political changes.

In 2023, a new foreign minister, Qin Gang, was appointed, but the reason for his removal remains undisclosed. Li, the newly appointed technology minister, was formerly the governor of Liaoning province and accompanied President Xi on a tour of the province just before the Lunar New Year. The wave of high-profile dismissals has raised concerns among experts and business leaders about the chilling effect Xi’s anti-corruption drive has had on China’s bureaucracy. 

Critics say the crackdown, which Xi argues is crucial for the survival of the Communist Party, has instilled fear within the system, leading to paralysis and risk aversion in decision-making. China's anti-graft watchdog disciplined nearly 889,000 officials last year, marking a 46 per cent increase from the previous year and the highest number in at least a decade. Yeling Tan, a professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, noted, “The focus on party discipline and party loyalty has sent a chill through the system and led to risk aversion” in China’s bureaucracy. “It is safer to not be proactive,” she added. 

Jin, who gained prominence as the chair of state-owned aircraft manufacturer Comac, was credited with leading the development of the C919, China’s first domestically produced passenger jet. He was later promoted to deputy director of China’s Central Military-Civil Fusion Office and became the technology minister in 2022 following the removal of former minister Xiao Yaqing in an anti-corruption investigation. 

Before his disappearance from public life, Jin had been a frequent presence at government meetings, often seen alongside Premier Li Qiang, China’s second-highest official. In 2023, Jin and Li visited major semiconductor companies like Naura and YMTC, as well as laser manufacturer HGTech and a quantum computing research center. His last public event was on December 27, when he chaired a meeting praising Xi’s new industrialization policies. 

Following this, Jin was notably absent from public events, with deputies filling in for him. Jin missed a key meeting in early January, where Xi emphasized that corruption was the “biggest threat” to the party. He also missed a State Council meeting on February 5, making him the only minister absent apart from Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was meeting foreign dignitaries. 

During a visit to research centres under China’s state-backed telecom groups, Jin’s absence was further highlighted when Deputy Minister Xin Guobin took his place. The circumstances surrounding Jin’s removal continue to raise questions about China’s internal political dynamics and the broader implications of Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign.

By Naila Huseynova