Title: Xi Jinping Administration Continues Propaganda System Cleanup, Arrests Chairman of The Paper Group
Date: July 13, 2023
Comprehensive report by our reporter Li Hui
In a continued effort to clean up the propaganda system, the Xi Jinping authorities have made another significant arrest. Following the apprehension of Dong Yunhu, the Party Secretary and Director of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People’s Congress of the Communist Party of China, on Wednesday (July 12), Cheng Feng, the deputy general manager of Shanghai Press Industry Group and chairman of The Paper, was suddenly arrested.
According to an announcement on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, Cheng Feng is currently under investigation by the Shanghai Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision. The statement, released on the 13th at 18:00, states that Cheng Feng is suspected of serious violations of the law and is undergoing a disciplinary review and supervision investigation.
Interestingly, Cheng Feng’s other position as chairman of The Paper Group was not mentioned in the report released by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Records from Tianyancha reveal that in 2018, Cheng Feng became the legal representative of The Paper (Shanghai Oriental Newspaper Co., Ltd.) after replacing Wang Wei. Alongside his legal representative role, Cheng Feng also assumed the position of chairman of the company.
Public information discloses that Cheng Feng, who is 52 years old, previously worked in the Shanghai Foreign Economic and Trade Commission from March 1995 to February 2001, where he served as the deputy secretary and secretary of the Youth League Committee. He later became the vice president of Shanghai International Group and held various leadership positions until his arrest, including office director, secretary of the party committee, and chairman of the State-owned Assets Management Co., Ltd.
The report fails to explain the specific reasons for Cheng Feng’s alleged crimes. However, it is speculated that there may be similarities between Cheng Feng and Dong Yunhu, who was arrested the previous day. Dong Yunhu previously served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and head of the Propaganda Department from 2015 to 2018, making him Cheng Feng’s immediate superior.
The recent series of arrests that includes more than a dozen cadres from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is regarded as a significant operation. The removal of officials from the Shanghai Propaganda Center is seen as the latest step in the Xi Jinping administration’s ongoing campaign to clean up the party. Propaganda has long been considered a crucial tool for the Communist Party’s survival.
As these developments unfold, it appears that the Xi Jinping administration is furthering its “knife turning inward” strategy.
Editor in charge: Lin Li