Hu Chunhua · Full chronicle and history

Hu Chunhua, whose previous absence had sparked rumors, appeared in the footage of the CCTV news broadcast at the meeting, with white hair and a haggard expression.

Former CCP official Du Wen revealed that Hu Chunhua has been placed under house arrest, his wife detained and subjected to investigation, and over a hundred relatives surnamed Du taken away by state security and police for interrogation.

Hu Chunhua appeared in the footage of the closing of the Fifth Plenary Session broadcast by CCTV, with a copy of the Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party placed on the table, sparking outside discussion.

The Chinese Communist Party held a commemoration in Beijing marking the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, with Xi Jinping leading the seven members of the Standing Committee in attendance. Hu Chunhua, viewed as a potential successor, and Ying Yong, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, both failed to appear as expected, sparking speculation about political changes at the top.

The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CCP Central Committee opened at the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing. The meeting was jointly guarded by the Central Guard Bureau, the Beijing Garrison Command, and police forces, and has drawn close outside attention amid political maneuvering and high-pressure Party rectification.

At a meeting commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Long March, Hu Chunhua was unexpectedly absent; after contacting multiple sources, it has been confirmed that Hu Chunhua and his family have gone missing.

At the Long March commemoration meeting on October 22, Hu Chunhua's absence drew outside attention; former official Du Wen posted that he had confirmed contact could not be established with him or his family.

Beijing held a commemorative meeting for the 90th anniversary of the Long March. Hu Chunhua's absence has sparked speculation overseas about whether he has run into trouble.

At the large-scale celebration held to mark the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, Hu Chunhua, a leading figure of the Tuanpai faction who ranks high in the CPPCC, was suddenly absent, sparking outside speculation about his political fate.

A high-level source within the CPPCC revealed that Hu Chunhua suddenly disappeared on the eve of the meeting commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Long March victory. He was actually controlled by Xi Jinping and the CCDI, but was only able to attend the Fifth Plenary Session several days later after being released due to pressure from the military and various factions within the Party.

Rumors online claim that Hu Chunhua will, as a Central Committee member, put forward a motion at the Fifth Plenum of the CCP Central Committee in October 2026, calling on the plenum to authorize the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of Li Keqiang's death, and that this will be made a condition for his succession; the military is also rumored to support the investigation and to demand that Hu Chunhua be added as a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Multiple versions of the CCP 20th Politburo member list are circulating outside the Great Firewall. While the names vary across versions, Hu Chunhua is pushed to the highest position in almost all of them, while the current top leader is missing from the lists, sparking speculation from the outside world.

On September 17, Qingdao hosted the Ocean Cooperation and Development Forum attended by political leaders from more than 60 countries worldwide. Hu Chunhua, representing the Chinese side, took the rostrum to deliver the keynote address, which outside observers interpreted as a signal of an unusual rise in his political visibility.

China began enforcing the 19-article Regulations on Exit and Entry Administration promulgated on July 31 starting September 15, expanding the scope of those barred from leaving the country from specific groups to all departing passengers at every port of exit, particularly affecting AI researchers and entrepreneurs, drawing widespread attention and concern at home and abroad. On September 10, officials issued a clarification saying the new rules mainly target cross-border gambling, telecom fraud, and the illicit transfer of technology. On the same day, the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders released a report noting an explosive growth in China's exit bans, with nearly 200,000 mentions of exit restrictions in Supreme People's Court rulings in 2025.

From September 13 to 16, Hu Chunhua, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), led a CPPCC inspection delegation on a tour of the Shandong Peninsula, as part of his increased public activities in mid-September.

On September 11, Wang Huning, Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee of the CCP, met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola in Beijing. Wang Dongfeng, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC, who usually accompanies Wang Huning in meetings with foreign guests, was not present, while Hu Chunhua sat on Wang Huning's right and made a public appearance. Related reports also stated that after months of internal maneuvering, the CCP reached a consensus no later than June to adhere to the collective leadership system, and that Xi Jinping may have made compromises due to health reasons or an inability to suppress opposition forces.

On September 11, Wang Huning, Chairman of the CPPCC, met in Beijing with the Speaker of Angola's National Assembly, de Almeida; the official communique stated that Hu Chunhua and others attended the meeting.

Overseas leaks claim that Wen Jiabao adopted a strategy of "let the person go up first, settle the accounts later," planning at the October Fifth Plenum to push Hu Chunhua onto the Politburo Standing Committee and add him as a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, so that the successor takes up the gun first, bypassing the political deadlock over whether Xi Jinping should step down immediately.

The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Party Group Inspection Work Leading Group held a meeting, with Shi Taifeng serving as the leader and Hu Chunhua as the deputy leader. Observers outside think this may be a pre‑emptive preparation for high‑level personnel arrangements.

The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has launched its third round of special inspections. Hu Chunhua announced at the meeting the authorization and appointment of inspection team leaders and the division of tasks.

Leaks claim that on the very day the transition deployment meeting was held, Hu Chunhua took office as the head of the group liquidating Xi's faction, marking the launch of the succession liquidation procedure.

According to sources within the Great Firewall, Hu Chunhua was appointed in early April as the head of Xi Jinping's group's provisional liquidation team, responsible for reviewing old projects and vetting cadre materials.

At the closing ceremony of the 20th CCP National Congress, former General Secretary Hu Jintao was escorted out of the venue by staff, and subsequently, Hu Chunhua was not included in the new Politburo list.

In the list of Standing Committee members announced at the 1st Plenary Session of the 19th CCP Central Committee, Hu Chunhua failed to enter the Standing Committee. Although Li Keqiang and Wang Yang were included, the succession plan laid out by Hu Jintao in 2012 has been significantly compromised.

In July 2017, Sun Zhengcai was suddenly investigated and expelled from the CCP. He and Hu Chunhua were once seen as candidates for the sixth-generation leadership; his downfall marked a turning point for the succession plans Hu Jintao had left for himself.