BEIJING, July 1 (Reuters) — The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has announced the appointment of Chen Xiaojiang as the new Party Secretary of the Uyghur homeland, the vast northwestern region known internationally as Xinjiang, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
United Front Veteran
Chen Xiaojiang, a Han Chinese official born in 1962 in Zhejiang Province, has served since 2020 as head of China’s State Ethnic Affairs Commission and as Vice Minister in the CCP’s United Front Work Department — a key organ responsible for managing ethnic minority affairs, religious groups, and ideological influence both inside China and abroad.
The specific reasons behind China’s decision to replace the official have not yet been clarified. However, Chen Xiaojiang’s background in United Front operations suggests that he is skilled and influential within China’s international propaganda and intelligence networks, as well as its diplomatic channels. This indicates that while China’s core policies are unlikely to change, it may intensify its propaganda efforts in a more tactical manner, working more closely with its global diplomatic and propaganda apparatus.
First Han Chinese to Lead the State Ethnic Affairs Commission
Chen is notably the first Han Chinese to lead the State Ethnic Affairs Commission since its re-establishment in 1978, marking a continuation of Han dominance over the administration of minority policies. His background is deeply rooted in CCP bureaucracy, with a career spanning water resources management, disciplinary inspection, and propaganda roles before moving into ethnic affairs.
Open-source information shows that in 2024, Chen Xiaojiang attended the 6th World Buddhist Forum in Ningbo, alongside Xi Jinping’s top adviser and nationalist ideologue Wang Huning, who delivered a keynote speech. Other high-level officials, including Shi Taifeng, Yi Lianhong, and Wang Hao, were also present. Chen participated in promoting “Buddhism with Chinese characteristics,” aligning with the Party’s efforts to reshape religious expression under state ideology.
He also published a political commentary titled “Chen Xiaojiang: Improving Policies and Measures to Maximize the United Front’s Role in Uniting Hearts and Mobilizing Strength,” in which he called for greater unity around Xi Jinping and urged the strategic use of the United Front to expand the Party’s political influence and control.
The appointment of Chen Xiaojiang is seen by Uyghur activists and observers as a further sign of Beijing’s ongoing control and securitization of the region, with no indication of policy change or relief for the Uyghur people.
Adrian Zenz, a scholar researching Uyghur human rights, said:
“Globally, this could foreshadow an emphasis on coordinated influence operations to improve Xinjiang’s global image, while further repressing dissenting voices abroad. Domestically, it reflects a focus on coerced ethnic unity and the continued primacy of securitization under total Party control.
It confirms that economic development, while important, is not the primary concern of the CCP in Xinjiang.”
Chen Xiaojiang: Career Overview
Chen Xiaojiang has built a long career within China’s bureaucracy. He studied electric power systems and joined the CCP in 1983. He began his professional life in state-run media related to water resources before moving into leadership roles within the Ministry of Water Resources.
Key Career Milestones:
- 2015: Head of the Propaganda Department at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)
- 2016: CCP Standing Committee Member and Discipline Inspection Secretary in Liaoning Province
- 2017: Vice Minister of Supervision; later Deputy Secretary of the CCDI
- 2018: Appointed Deputy Director of the National Supervisory Commission
- 2020: Appointed Director of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department — the first Han Chinese to hold the position in 66 years
- 2022: Promoted to a senior operational leadership role within the United Front system
- March 2024: Named Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)
- July 2025: Appointed CCP Party Secretary of the Uyghur region (Xinjiang), replacing Ma Xingrui
