Li Xi | |
|---|---|
李希 | |
_(2025)_01.jpg) Li in 2025 | |
| Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection | |
| Assumed office 23 October 2022 | |
| Deputy | Liu Jinguo (First-ranked) |
| General Secretary | Xi Jinping |
| Preceded by | Zhao Leji |
| Party Secretary of Guangdong | |
| In office 28 October 2017 – 28 October 2022 | |
| Deputy | Ma Xingrui (Governor) Wang Weizhong |
| General Secretary | Xi Jinping |
| Preceded by | Hu Chunhua |
| Succeeded by | Huang Kunming |
| Party Secretary of Liaoning | |
| In office 4 May 2015 – 28 October 2017 | |
| Deputy | Chen Qiufa (Governor) |
| General Secretary | Xi Jinping |
| Preceded by | Wang Min |
| Succeeded by | Chen Qiufa |
| Governor of Liaoning | |
| In office 5 May 2014 – 8 May 2015 Acting: 5 May 2014 – 17 October 2014 | |
| Party Secretary | Wang Min |
| Preceded by | Chen Zhenggao |
| Succeeded by | Chen Qiufa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1956 (age 69) |
| Political party | Chinese Communist Party |
| Alma mater | Northwest Normal University |
Li Xi[a] (born October 1956) is a Chinese politician who is the currentsecretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the seventh-ranking member of thePolitburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
Li spent much of his career innorthwestern China, and served as the party secretary of the revolutionary base ofYan'an. He then served as thedeputy party secretary ofShanghai, thenGovernor of Liaoning, then promoted toparty secretary. From 2017 to 2022, he was theparty secretary of Guangdong province and a member of the19th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.
Li Xi was born on 16 October 1956 inLiangdang County,Gansu province. He was sent to the Yunping People's Commune in Liangdang County in 1975 as a "sent-down youth". He became a clerk at the Liangdang County Party Committee's Culture and Education Bureau in 1976, and enrolled in theNorthwest Normal University to receive undergraduate education in Chinese language and literature. Li became a member of theChinese Communist Party (CCP) in January 1982, and graduated from university later 1982.[1][2]
Li started his career working as amishu in the publicity department of theCCP Gansu Provincial Committee in 1982. In 1985, he became amishu in the office of the Gansu Party SecretaryLi Ziqi. Li commenced his tenure at the provincial organization department of Gansu in 1986 as an official, subsequently ascending to deputy division head in 1987 and division chief in 1990, remaining in that position until 1995. Li was designated as the Party Secretary ofXigu District in the provincial capital ofLanzhou in 1995, thereafter assuming the role of director of the provincial organization department in 1996. In 1999, he became the Deputy Party Secretary of Lanzhou, and was later appointed as the Party secretary ofZhangye prefecture in 2001. In 2004, during his tenure in Zhangye, Li attended a four-month mid-career training program offered by theCentral Party School. In 2004, he briefly became the secretary-general of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee for a few months.[1]
In 2004, Li was transferred toShaanxi, where he became the secretary-general of theCCP Shaanxi Provincial Committee and a member of the Provincial Standing Committee. In 2006, Li became the Party secretary ofYan'an, which was the center of theChinese Communist Revolution from late 1935 to early 1947 after theLong March.[1][3] In October 2017, he was elected as an alternate of the17th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party after17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. In 2008, he enrolled in the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University in Beijing, gaining aMaster of Business Administration via part-time studies in 2011.[1]
In May 2011, Li Xi was transferred to the Standing Committee of theShanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and Minister of the Organization Department. In April 2013, he was promoted to Deputy Secretary of the CCP Shanghai Municipal Committee and became the deputy of then Municipal Party SecretaryHan Zheng.[4]
On 5 May 2014, he was transferred again toLiaoning province inNortheast China, and was appointed ActingGovernor and Deputy Party secretary of the province, replacing outgoing governorChen Zhenggao.[5][6][7] He was confirmed by the provincial legislature as governor later that year and served as governor until 8 May 2015.[8][9] On 4 May 2015, he succeededWang Min as Party Secretary of Liaoning, becoming first-in-charge of the province.[10]
Li was then the18th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party, served as a full member of the19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and currently serves as a full member of the20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[6]
At the19th Party Congress, Li Xi was named a member of thePolitburo of the Chinese Communist Party. On October 28, 2017, shortly after the party congress, Li was transferred to take over the politically important southern province of Guangdong fromHu Chunhua as provincial party secretary.[11]
During his tenure, Li was responsible for overseeing Guangdong's response to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[12] During a conference about promoting theGreater Bay Area in February 2022, Li urged cadres to give priority buildingQianhai andHengqin, two border areas which were selected as pilot testing zones in areas such as finance and technology. He also called for attracting global talent, and deepening cooperation with Hong Kong and Macau in areas such as infrastructure, COVID-19, people-to-people exchange and technology.[13] In response to heavy rains in southern China in May 2022, Li held a meeting urging officials to be vigilant and ensuring food supply and disaster aid.[14]
In October 2022, following the first plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Li was appointed to the 20thPolitburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[15] Li also succeededZhao Leji asSecretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Following his ascension to thePolitburo Standing Committee, Li was succeeded byHuang Kunming on October 28, 2022, as the Party Secretary of Guangdong.[16]
In March 2023, the CCDI announced a round of self-inspection, which Li called an "important political task" to ensure its power is not abused. He called on cadres to "clean up, rectify and purify the organization" and take "most powerful measures and most decisive action".[17] In the same month, the CCDI started an investigation campaign in theChina Investment Corporation, theChina Development Bank, theAgricultural Development Bank of China, theChina Everbright Group and thePeople's Insurance Company of China, which Li said would solve outstanding issues in the financial industry.[18] On 1 September 2023, Li gave a keynote address at the 11th National Congress of Returned Overseas Chinese and Their Relatives, where he called on overseas Chinese to "resolutely oppose independence and promote reunification" with Taiwan. He praised overseas Chinese for various contributions to China, called on them to join achieving the CCP'ssecond centenary goals, and described them as a bridge between China and their countries of residence.[19]
In October 2023, the2023 Belt and Road Forum convened in Beijing, where Li Xi engaged withPresident Ruto of Kenya, Prime MinisterKakar of Pakistan, and PresidentKhürelsükh of Mongolia, who attended the forum, to discuss enhancing anti-corruption collaboration among China,Kenya,Pakistan, andMongolia.[20][21][22] Same month, Li called on investigations to five departments: theMinistry of Science and Technology, theMinistry of Industry and Information Technology, theState-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, theState Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and theState Tobacco Monopoly Administration – as well as 26state-owned enterprises, and said the CCDI would strengthen supervision of department and SOE heads, as well as increase collaboration with audit, financial, statistics, petition and other departments.[23] Li attended theGroup of 77 summit inHavana, Cuba later in the month, the highest-ranking delegation of China to the summit in years.[24] During the summit, Li said China wanted to work with developing countries to make global governance fairer, also saying "certain countries" imposed unilateral sanctions that damaged theGlobal South. Li also visited Brazil and Egypt.[25][26] In November 2023, he met withCentral Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam ChairmanTrần Cẩm Tú, where they promised to increase cooperation in anti-corruption.[27]
Li delivered a work report of the CCDI in January 2024, which promised anti-corruption work both in China and overseas. It said CCDI would target "unhealthy practices and corruption" in rural revitalization, ensure anti-corruption work within theBelt and Road Initiative, and ensure political security and "show no mercy to those who form political gangs, cliques and interest groups".[28] Li visited Kenya in November 2024, where he met with Kenyan PresidentWilliam Ruto, who revealed there were advanced discussions on China financing the Rironi-Mau Summit road.[29] In the same month, addressing anti-corruption checks in villages by the CCDI, Li called them necessary to remove "misconduct and corruption that occur on people’s doorsteps".[30] In July 2025, Li held a CCDI Standing Committee meeting, calling for a crackdown on fraud in scientific research funding. He said China must create a good environment for development, and that it must "resolutely crack down on corruption that abuses project management authority to accept bribes, or colludes to embezzle research funds".[31]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection 2022–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Party Secretary of Guangdong 2017–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Party Secretary of Liaoning 2015–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Party Secretary ofShanghai 2013–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Liaoning 2014–2015 | Succeeded by |
