Last year, a town party secretary who violated regulations by drinking and dining during training at the Party School was proposed for promotion to the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee. Public opinion interpreted this as “making mistakes can lead to new opportunities.”
Last year, a town party secretary who had been disciplined was publicized for promotion to the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee. Many people thought this matter was “a done deal,” but there was no further news after the publicity period ended. Recently, this official seemed to have appeared in another unit.
This twist is quite interesting and thought-provoking.
Let’s review the previous events: From February 6 to 9, 2023, some leading cadres of Jianchuan County violated regulations by drinking and dining and accepting banquets during training at the State Party School. They drank for four days out of the five-day training. This incident was investigated, and 24 trainees and public officials who violated regulations by participating in drinking and dining were dealt with: Zhang Tao, Deputy Secretary and County Magistrate of Jianchuan County, was given a serious warning within the Party; Yang Shihua, Party Group Secretary and Director of the Standing Committee of the Jianchuan County People’s Congress, was given a serious warning within the Party and removed from his position; Zhang Maoxing, Party Group Secretary and Chairman of the Jianchuan County Political Consultative Conference, was given a serious warning within the Party and removed from his position; Zhang Xieju, Standing Committee Member of the Jianchuan County Party Committee, Director of the County Party Committee Office, and Party Secretary of Shaxi Town, was given a serious warning within the Party and removed from his positions as Standing Committee Member of the County Party Committee and Director of the County Party Committee Office; Zhang Zhenji, Party Secretary of Yangcen Township, Jianchuan County, was given a disciplinary action within the Party and an administrative demotion, and was demoted to a Level 4 Director-level staff member; Xie Wenjie, Party Secretary of Jinhua Town, Jianchuan County, was given a disciplinary action within the Party and an administrative demotion, and was demoted to a Level 4 Director-level staff member; Zhao Yan, Party Secretary of Madeng Town, Jianchuan County, was given a serious warning within the Party; Xie Qin, Party Secretary of Diannan Town, Jianchuan County, was given a serious warning within the Party; Li Yugen, Party Secretary of Xiangtu Township, Jianchuan County, was given an organizational admonition; Li Qinghong, Party Secretary of Laojunshan Town, Jianchuan County, was given an organizational admonition; Zhang Xianhua, Party Secretary of Misha Township, Jianchuan County, was given a criticism and education and ordered to make a written self-criticism; Li Bingqi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Dali Prefecture Party Committee and Director of the Prefecture Party Committee Office, was given a warning within the Party and his position was adjusted; Su Shenglin, Party Group Secretary and Director of Dali Radio and Television Station, was given a warning within the Party; Zhao Chenming, Party Group Member and Deputy Director of the Dali Prefecture Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, was given a warning within the Party; Yang Zhi, Director of the Party Building Office of the Dali Prefecture Party Committee Organization Department, was given a serious warning within the Party and removed from his position; and the other 9 people who violated regulations by participating in drinking and dining, with minor circumstances, were given criticism and education.
After the incident, the Yunnan Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission filmed this incident into a warning film, and many officials appeared on camera to “confess,” shocking the whole country. Among them, Xie Qin, the Party Secretary of Diannan Town, Jianchuan County, born in 1987, appeared on camera and received much attention. His youthful and reserved demeanor left a deep impression on me.
At that time, Xie Qin received a serious warning within the Party.
On May 23, 2025, the Organization Department of the Dali Prefecture Party Committee suddenly released a pre-appointment publicity for cadres, and Xie Qin was proposed to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the County (City) Party Committee. Among the officials who were publicized for promotion and re-use with Xie Qin, there were two officials to pay attention to: Chen Hongli, Deputy County Magistrate of Jianchuan County, proposed to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the County (City) Party Committee; and Zheng Weili, Deputy County Magistrate of Heqing County, proposed to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the County (City) Party Committee.
Because the public was too familiar with the name Xie Qin, the publicity of Xie Qin’s appointment immediately attracted high attention from public opinion, and everyone discussed it: Can an official who has received a serious warning within the Party be promoted?
According to the provisions of the “Disciplinary Regulations of the Communist Party of China,” a Party member who has received a serious warning within the Party shall not be promoted within the Party or further used within one and a half years, nor shall they be recommended to non-Party organizations to hold non-Party positions higher than their original positions or be further used. According to this regulation, the impact period of Xie Qin’s punishment is one and a half years. After the punishment period, he can be normally promoted and used.
Let’s calculate the time again. The Yunnan Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission announced Xie Qin’s punishment in March 2023. The punishment period is one and a half years, which means that his punishment period must have ended in September 2024. Therefore, there is absolutely no problem in the procedure for Xie Qin to be promoted to the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee in May 2025.
At that time, public opinion paid high attention, and the media reported it under the title “After 2 Years of Punishment, ‘Post-85s’ Xie Qin is Proposed for Promotion.” Some media also published commentary articles, believing that: For cadres who have “made mistakes,” those who have truly reformed and have the ability and meet the conditions should not be completely written off. This point has a consensus in society. An official who has made mistakes, as long as he does have outstanding abilities under the premise of following the regulations, and the relevant parties can “boldly” use him, is also a manifestation of daring to take responsibility, and people are also happy to see that “wrong cadres” truly become “capable cadres.”
In the internet age, attention has become an important scarce resource. This matter quickly faded out of the public’s view, and many people thought that Xie Qin’s appointment as a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee had become a fact. After all, the incident of violating regulations by drinking and dining during the Party School training was reported and attracted nationwide attention. The local government’s personnel arrangements would definitely predict the reaction of public opinion, and would definitely predict that there would be criticism. However, they still released the pre-appointment publicity despite anticipating criticism, which should have been prepared to accept the questioning of public opinion and the response in reality.
However, if we pay a little more attention, we will be surprised to find that: After the publicity period ended, Xie Qin did not successfully advance to the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, while Chen Hongli, the Deputy County Magistrate of Jianchuan, who was publicized on the same day, successfully advanced to the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, and Zheng Weili, the Deputy County Magistrate of Heqing, also successfully became a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and the Executive Deputy County Magistrate.
It can be seen from this that the local government was prepared for the criticism of public opinion, but the preparation may not have been sufficient. Of course, there may be other reasons.
Readers with a discerning eye may have doubts: Why do you frequently mention Zheng Weili of Heqing County when you are concerned about the affairs of Jianchuan County? Don’t worry, you will understand when you see the end.
After the publicity period ended, Xie Qin was not promoted. So what did he do? He didn’t go anywhere and continued to be the town party secretary.
I found from public information that as of April 2026, Xie Qin was still serving as the Party Secretary of Diannan Town. On April 13, the town organized a special theme party day activity for the seventh Party Congress, and Xie Qin still attended as the town party secretary.
The one in the front row in the middle wearing glasses and clenching his fist to swear is Xie Qin.
Interestingly, on April 24, Chen Lihong appeared at the 12th Fifth Executive Committee (Enlarged) Meeting of the Jianchuan County Women’s Federation as a member of the Standing Committee of the Jianchuan County Party Committee and the Party Secretary of Diannan Town.
Based on the above public information, we can basically conclude that: In the middle and late April, Chen Lihong, who was publicized to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee with Xie Qin, no longer served as the Deputy County Magistrate, and replaced Xie Qin as the Party Secretary of Diannan Town as a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee.
What about Xie Qin? His whereabouts are unknown.
On March 30, 2026, when Xie Qin was still serving as the Party Secretary of Diannan Town, the Organization Department of the Dali Prefecture Party Committee again released a pre-appointment publicity for cadres related to Zheng Weili and also related to Jianchuan County. The publicity stated that Zheng Weili was proposed to be appointed as the County (City) Magistrate.
On May 6, 2026, Jianchuan County held a leading cadre meeting, and Chu Jiaoyan, the Executive Deputy Minister of the Organization Department of the Dali Prefecture Party Committee, announced: Zheng Weili was appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the Jianchuan County Party Committee and Deputy Secretary, and was nominated as a candidate for the County Magistrate of the Jianchuan County People’s Government.
The whereabouts of the original County Magistrate have not been found for the time being. Although the official website of the Jianchuan County People’s Government released the news that Zheng Weili became a candidate for County Magistrate, it has not yet updated the leadership information, and the County Magistrate column is still the original County Magistrate as of the time I wrote this article.
This is really dramatic: Xie Qin was publicized to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, but he didn’t get the position. At the same time, Chen Lihong, who was proposed to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, not only successfully advanced to the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, but also replaced Xie Qin as the Party Secretary of Diannan Town. At the same time, Zheng Weili, who was proposed to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, not only successfully advanced to the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, but also became the County Magistrate of Jianchuan County in less than a year.
Seeing this, everyone will probably ask again: What about Xie Qin? Where did Xie Qin, who looked so youthful, go?
On April 21, 2026, the Dali Prefecture Civil Affairs Bureau updated the information of the “Leading Members” of the bureau: Xie Qin, a member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the bureau, is responsible for social assistance, consolidating poverty alleviation and promoting rural revitalization, planning and finance, elderly care services, and elderly work; in charge of: Social Assistance Section, Elderly Care Services and Planning and Finance Section, Dali Prefecture Social Welfare Institute, Dali Prefecture Social Affairs Service Center (Dali Prefecture Resident Family Economic Status Verification Center).
Readers revealed that this Xie Qin may be the Xie Qin we are concerned about.
It seems that Xie Qin, who has received a serious warning within the Party, although he has passed the punishment period and can be promoted in procedure, but in reality, once the news was made public and attracted public attention, unexpected situations occurred, and his appointment to the Standing Committee “failed.” However, the Deputy Director of the Dali Prefecture Civil Affairs Bureau is a real position at the deputy county level. Although Xie Qin was not able to become a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, it is also a progress for him to be promoted from a director-level position to a deputy county-level position.
Readers who are interested can check the other officials who were punished at that time, and perhaps they will have new discoveries. I am just providing a starting point and leaving some material for everyone to find themselves, which can be regarded as a real-life news practice.
Several drinking parties during the Party School training period changed the career paths of many officials, which is truly a lesson worth remembering for them.
May 14, 2026
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