Sanctioned hardline former Xinjiang chief Chen Quanguo moves to rural affairs role for ‘last job before retirement’
- Chen, the most senior official sanctioned by the US over alleged human rights abuses, is expected to spearhead a crackdown on rural gangs in his new post
- One analyst says this is likely to be his last role before retirement and while it is not a ‘denial’ of his actions in Xinjiang indicates a shift in policy
Chen stepped down from his role in the far-western region six months ago and appeared in his new role as deputy head of the central rural work leading group at conference in Beijing on Tuesday, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Wu Qiang, an independent political analyst in Beijing, said the hardline approach Chen adopted in Xinjiang – where he is accused of overseeing a vast network of internment camps – and in his previous role in Tibet, would be applied in his new role in a crackdown on rural gangs.
Wu said this was probably going to be his last role despite earlier speculation he may climb further up the political ladder to the Politburo Standing Committee, the country’s top leadership body, but it was still a “decent” pre-retirement role for the 67-year-old.
“It is not a rise, but also not a denial of his works in Xinjiang,” Wu said, adding that Chen’s stepping down from the Xinjiang post suggested Beijing’s policy had been adjusted under international pressure.