Portrait of He Lifeng
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He Lifeng on Xi Jinping

Loyal top economic aide (strong)

TL;DR

He Lifeng is Xi Jinping's deeply trusted aide, sharing a long history and fully embodying the President's statist economic vision.

Key Points

  • He Lifeng and Xi Jinping worked together in Fujian province during the 1980s, cultivating a relationship of personal trust.

  • He succeeded Liu He as Director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission under General Secretary Xi Jinping in October 2023.

  • In a January 2026 address, He Lifeng directly referenced President Xi Jinping's 2017 speech on globalization as an inspiration for China's current global economic stance.

Summary

He Lifeng is directly linked to the highest levels of power through his deep personal trust relationship with President Xi Jinping, which dates back to their time working together in Fujian province in the 1980s. This alignment is foundational to his career, culminating in his appointments as Director of the Office of the Communist Party's Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs and as Vice Premier, making him the main technical figure executing the President's economic strategy. He embodies the leadership profile Xi Jinping prefers: disciplined, loyal, and without personal ambitions beyond carrying out the Party's directives.

His core economic stance is one of continuity and alignment with the President's vision, which is characterized as deeply statist, emphasizing state leadership over the market. While his predecessor was viewed as more of a reformist with Western appeal, He represents the execution of the President's economic roadmap with precision. Furthermore, in international settings, He Lifeng consistently references and upholds the President's guiding principles, such as the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity, to frame China's global economic engagement.

Key Quotes

As he pointed out, any attempt to channel the waters in the ocean back into isolated lakes and creeks is simply not possible. It runs counter to the historical trend.

Frequently Asked Questions

He Lifeng is currently a Vice Premier and a key member of the Politburo, serving as the Director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission. This role places him as the main technical figure executing the economic strategy devised by President Xi Jinping.

He Lifeng has known President Xi Jinping since the 1980s when both were working in Fujian province. This long history has fostered a relationship of personal trust that is considered unusual at the highest levels of Chinese power.

He Lifeng has actively promoted the global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping, such as the global development, security, civilization, and governance initiatives. He presents these as China's solutions to worldwide collective problems.

Sources5

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.