One of Xi’s top security officials has been identified

One of Xi’s top security officials has been identified – with the help of a White House guest list

Hong Kong — One of China’s most important – and mysterious – security officials has stepped out of the shadows and been identified, thanks in part to a guest list published by the White House.
The man, a bespectacled official with a neat crew-cut who has made a handful of appearances alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping in recent years, has long been considered by China watchers to be Zhou Hongxu, the Director of the Central Guard Bureau, an office similar to the US Secret Service.

Beijing has never publicly confirmed Zhou’s job title, and his official biography has few clarifying details.
It was only when the White House published a list of Chinese guests and their official titles for the recent state banquet hosted by US President Donald Trump for Xi that Zhou’s official position was finally confirmed.

His presence at such a high-stakes diplomatic engagement shines a light on a coterie of younger generation party cadres and security figures that have become some of Xi’s most trusted aides, with the ruling Communist Party’s next national congress that often decides key leadership positions now just a year away.

In footage broadcast by state broadcaster Chinese Central Television, Zhou could be seen among guests at the state banquet wearing a buttoned-up Mao suit and standing just behind US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Zhou also made a rare high profile diplomatic appearance earlier this month when Xi he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. He could be seen sitting between China’s two vice ministers of foreign affairs, according to official footage, although state media did not identify him despite his prominent visibility.