Zhong Shaojun

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Zhong Shaojun
钟绍军
Director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission
Assumed office
August 2017
CMC ChairmanXi Jinping
Preceded byQin Shengxiang
Director of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission Office
Assumed office
June 2013
CMC ChairmanXi Jinping
Preceded byWu Zhiming
Personal details
Born (1968-10-19) 19 October 1968 (age 55)
Kaihua County, Zhejiang, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party
Alma materTsinghua University
Zhejiang University
Military service
Allegiance China
Branch/servicePeople's Liberation Army
Years of service2013 − present
Rank Lieutenant general
CommandsCMC General Office CMC Office for Reform and Organizational Structure

Zhong Shaojun (Chinese: 钟绍军; born 19 October 1968) is a long-time political aide of Xi Jinping, currently the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). Zhong served on Xi's staff beginning in Zhejiang province, then followed him to Shanghai, and then Beijing. Zhong currently serves as the director of Xi Jinping’s Office and director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission. He holds the military rank of Lieutenant general in 2019.

Career

Zhong was born in Kaihua County, Zhejiang, near the modern city of Quzhou. He hold a master's degree from Zhejiang University. He once served as the deputy head of the provincial party's Organization Department in Zhejiang.

It is not clear when Zhong began working for Xi, but evidence suggests that Zhong was on Xi's staff at least as early as when Xi was serving as the

Communist Party Secretary of Zhejiang province. In Zhejiang, Zhong often drafted Xi's official statements. Upon the sacking of Chen Liangyu due to a corruption scandal, the central authorities selected Xi to fill the position vacated by Chen as party chief of Shanghai. The transfer elevated Xi from a relatively unknown provincial administrator to the front runner to succeed Hu Jintao as the next leader of the Communist Party.[2] Zhong then followed Xi to Shanghai and took on the title of deputy chief of the municipal party General Office, and often accompanied Xi on visits. When Xi was transferring his duties to his successor as Zhejiang party chief Zhao Hongzhu, Zhong would frequently accompany Xi on trips between Shanghai and Hangzhou. It was said that on some trips, Zhong was the only person accompanying Xi.[2]

In the fall of 2007, Xi was transferred to Beijing to become a member of the

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre accompanying Xi Jinping.[3]

Zhong's relationship with Xi has been compared to that between former General Secretary Jiang Zemin and his former secretary Jia Ting'an (later promoted to General in the People's Liberation Army) and that between former General Secretary Hu Jintao and his chief aide Ling Jihua.[2] However, there is not much publicly available information about Zhong or about his relationship with Xi Jinping.[2] He has additionally been named as a member of the "New Zhijiang Army", that is, a trusted lieutenant of Xi Jinping who shares Xi's political philosophies and who may become an important political player or be destined for higher office in the near future.[3]

References

  1. ^ "钟绍军". other-wiki.zervice.io. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "从上海到北京 习近平贴身秘书只有钟绍军". Mingjing News. Boxun. July 11, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "习近平率"之江新军"大展拳脚". Takungpao.com. Boxun. December 29, 2014.