China Names Party Chiefs for Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai

At a Lhasa meeting Tuesday, Hu Changsheng took over as Communist Party secretary of Tibet—pledging to "remain unswervingly and absolutely loyal to the party." Xinhua said the 62-year-old replaces Wang Junzheng, 63, who left after five years with age cited. Wang was sanctioned by the US in 2021 over alleged human rights abuses linked to Xinjiang. The same announcement sent Qinghai party chief Wu Xiaojun, 60, to Gansu and promoted Qinghai governor Luo Dongchuan, 60, to Qinghai party secretary. Hu, Gansu party chief since late 2022, also vowed to "intensify the struggle against separatism and strengthen the rule-of-law-based management of religious affairs." His career ran through Sichuan, Qinghai and Fujian, where SCMP notes overlap with Xi Jinping's earlier posts. The moves come ahead of an October party conclave and the 21st Party Congress expected in autumn 2027, when such appointments are watched for clues to the next national line-up.