In the anti-corruption storm within the Chinese Communist Party’s military, there has been a recent change in the top leadership of China Aviation Industry Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as “AVIC”). The former Chairman Zhou Xinmin’s whereabouts are unknown, and he has been replaced by the former Party Secretary and Chairman of China Ordnance Industry Group, Cheng Fubo. Zhou Xinmin has not been seen publicly for almost six months.
According to the latest updates on the AVIC official website’s “Leadership Team” section, Cheng Fubo has taken over as Chairman and Party Secretary. Zhou Xinmin previously served as the Chairman of China Aviation Industry Group.
Cheng Fubo is now the Chairman and Party Secretary of China Ordnance Industry Group Co., Ltd. According to the official website of the Ordnance Industry Group, Cheng Fubo was still lecturing at the group as of June 30 in his capacity as the leader. The website still displays Cheng Fubo as the Chairman and Party Secretary of the group.
Over the past year, several high-ranking officials of major Chinese military industrial enterprises have either been removed from their positions or have disappeared from the public eye, including those from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Ordnance Industry Group, China Aviation Industry Group, China Electronics Technology Group, and China National Nuclear Corporation.
On January 25 of this year, AVIC’s General Manager Wei Yingbiao and several other senior executives visited retired leaders and academicians at the group. However, there was no mention of Chairman Zhou Xinmin in the report.
Zhou Xinmin’s absence has sparked speculation among observers.
On January 18 of this year, Zhou Xinmin chaired an anti-corruption meeting at AVIC. On the same day, AVIC’s General Manager Hao Zhaoping and Deputy General Manager Yang Wei were unexpectedly dismissed from their positions, and their profiles were removed on the same day. Since then, Zhou Xinmin has not been seen in public.
Public records show that Zhou Xinmin, born in November 1969 in Lincang, Jiangxi Province, worked at Changhe Aircraft Industrial Group for nearly 30 years and held positions such as Chairman and Party Committee Secretary. In January 2018, he became the Deputy General Manager of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), and in February 2023, he was appointed as the Deputy Chairman and General Manager of COMAC.
Public records indicate that Cheng Fubo, born in September 1970 in Bishan, Chongqing, is a member of the Han ethnic group and joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1992.
Cheng Fubo previously served in various roles at Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Co., Ltd., including Deputy Chief Engineer, Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of the Trade Union, Party Secretary, Deputy Chairman, and Deputy General Manager. In January 2018, he became a member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of COMAC, and in July of the same year, he became a Standing Committee member of the Party Committee.
In July 2020, Cheng Fubo was appointed as the Vice Governor of Shaanxi Province, and in December 2021, he became a Standing Committee member of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee and later served as the Minister of the Organization Department of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee. In December 2022, Cheng Fubo was transferred to Guangdong Province as a Standing Committee member of the Provincial Committee and the Minister of the Organization Department.
In April 2024, Cheng Fubo was appointed as the Chairman and Party Secretary of China Ordnance Industry Group Co., Ltd., where he currently serves.
Public information indicates that China Aviation Industry Group Co., Ltd. (“AVIC”) is a centrally managed state-owned large-scale enterprise authorized by the state as an investment institution. It was established on November 6, 2008, through the reorganization and integration of the former China Aviation Industry First and Second Group Corporations. The group company operates in industries such as aviation weapon equipment, military transport aircraft, helicopters, airborne systems, general aviation, aviation research, flight testing, aviation supply chain and military trade, special equipment, automotive components, asset management, finance, engineering construction, and more. It has over 100 member units, 25 listed companies, and employs over 400,000 people.