Cai Qi under pressure as former aides fall and he leads Central Party School

Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and chief of the Central Office, has been appointed head of the Central Party School. Shortly after his appointment, several of his former associates have been investigated or removed. Zhejiang provincial finance office deputy director Deng Fuguo was criminally charged for alleged sexual assault at a dinner gathering, and his official biography was deleted from the provincial website. Beijing political consultative conference chairman Wei Xiaodong, a longtime aide of Cai, has been placed under disciplinary investigation, and former Zhejiang state‑owned‑assets chief Dong Guibo surrendered to authorities on corruption suspicions. The string of investigations, alongside rumors of financial improprieties involving Cai’s family, has sparked analysis that rival factions within the Chinese Communist Party may be using these cases to undermine Cai’s standing. Observers note that the party‑school post is traditionally held by senior leaders and may be a temporary placement pending future power realignments, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding Cai’s political future.