On February 6, 2025, it was reported that the Vice Chairman of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Zhou Xi’an, had been placed under investigation. He became the first high-ranking official to fall from grace after the start of the Year of the Snake and the first “tiger” in Anhui Province after the 20th National Congress of the CCP. Zhou Xi’an is also the third senior CCP official to be investigated in 2025 following Zhang Tianfeng and Qizhala. Prior to this, Zhou Xi’an served as the Vice Governor of Anhui.
According to the official announcement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission of the CCP on February 6, Zhou Xi’an, member of the CCP leading group and Vice Chairman of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and is currently undergoing disciplinary review and inspection.
In late January of this year, Zhou Xi’an made a public appearance. According to the Anhui Daily, on the afternoon of January 20, the 13th session of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the CPPCC held a meeting with members from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese. Zhou Xi’an attended and delivered a speech. On the afternoon of January 22, the closing ceremony of the 13th session of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the CPPCC took place, with Zhou Xi’an seated in the front row of the presidium. On the morning of January 24, the closing ceremony of the 14th session of the Anhui Provincial People’s Congress was held, with Zhou Xi’an seated at the main podium.
Public records show that Zhou Xi’an was born in August 1963 in Xinye, Henan Province. He started working in June 1988. In July 1992, Zhou Xi’an joined the National Development and Reform Commission of the CCP and held positions such as Deputy Director of the Development Policy Department of the Policy Research Office of the NDRC, Director of the Comprehensive Department of the Policy and Regulation Division of the NDRC, and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics during this period.
In 2003, the NDRC was reorganized as the National Development and Reform Commission of the CCP. Zhou Xi’an successively served as Deputy Director of the Policy Research Office of the NDRC, Director of the Comprehensive Division of the National Energy Leading Group Office (equivalent to a ministerial-level official), Director of the Comprehensive Department of the National Energy Administration (equivalent to a ministerial-level official), among other positions.
In the autumn of 2010, Zhou Xi’an was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Bazhong Municipal Party Committee in Sichuan and was nominated as a candidate for Mayor, officially assuming the position in February 2011. In November 2014, Zhou Xi’an was appointed Secretary of the Ziyang Municipal Party Committee.
In January 2018, Zhou Xi’an was transferred to Anhui Province as the Vice Governor, responsible for land and resources, housing and urban-rural development, commerce, foreign affairs, overseas Chinese affairs, and Taiwan affairs. In January 2023, Zhou Xi’an was appointed Vice Chairman of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, until his recent investigation.