Recently, I came across a commentary titled “Central Discipline Inspection Commission Plenary Session, General Secretary’s Speech Resonates Loudly” on the official Xinhua News Agency website of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The article praises the powerful speech delivered by CCP leader Xi Jinping at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, noting that his voice was loud enough for even the deaf to hear.
The commentary specifically highlights Xi’s anti-corruption efforts as formidable, emphasizing that regardless of one’s position or contributions, anyone engaged in corrupt activities will not be tolerated. The phrase “no ‘get out of jail free card,’ no ‘iron cap king'” was originally coined by Xi Jinping himself.
Back in 2015, during a special seminar on comprehensively advancing the rule of law in line with the spirit of the Fourth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the CCP, Xi Jinping stated, “Under the rule of law, no one can harbor luck, no one can expect leniency outside the law, there are no ‘get out of jail free cards,’ no ‘iron cap kings.'”
Over the past decade since then, whenever factional struggles within the CCP intensified, the CCP’s official media would hype up phrases like “no ‘iron cap king’.”
In 2015, during the peak of Xi’s anti-corruption campaign, a similar hype occurred before the 20th CCP National Congress in 2022, and now in 2025, the topic resurfaces once again. With these repeated instances, it seems like a conclusion should be drawn.
The term “iron cap king” refers to a noble title in the Qing Dynasty with hereditary privileges: the title was passed down within the family, generous salary, and bestowed with a hereditary manor, also known as the iron cap king’s estate.
In the current upper echelon of the CCP, who can be considered as the “iron cap king”?
Following Xi’s statement regarding “no ‘iron cap king,'” an article signed by “Xi Hua” titled “The Conduct Issues of Qing Dynasty ‘Bare Official’ Prince Qing” was published on the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s official website on February 25, 2015. Prince Qing was the last “iron cap king” in the Qing Dynasty.
Xi Hua’s article outlined four main characteristics of Prince Qing: lacking governance skills despite being in a high-ranking position, possessing substantial overseas assets exposed by foreign media, adept at handling scandals while maintaining power, and being involved in corruption circles nurturing corruption among officials.
Comparisons drawn between these characteristics evoke memories of former Politburo Standing Committee member and Vice President Zeng Qinghong.
Zeng Qinghong, a confidant of CCP dictator Jiang Zemin, embodied all of the outlined traits, cementing his position as one of the current CCP’s “iron cap kings.”
Xi Jinping’s first term featured an anti-corruption campaign primarily aimed at wresting control from Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong’s grip. The majority of the high-ranking officials targeted in Xi’s anti-corruption efforts were those promoted and supported by Jiang and Zeng, putting the two at risk.
On June 12, 2015, mainland China’s “The Paper” reported the release of the…
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