Zhao Leji on Falun Gong
TL;DR
Zhao Leji is identified as a central official directing ongoing and systemic persecution against Falun Gong practitioners within China.
Key Points
The Central 610 Office directors who led the anti-Falun Gong campaign since 2001 simultaneously held the position of Vice Minister for Public Security.
Zhao Leji is named as one of the two central CCP officials currently leading ongoing security campaigns against Falun Gong believers as of a 2025 report.
In 2020, a secretary of Zhao Leji visited Hunan to review progress in the persecution of Falun Gong and check on practitioners forced to renounce their faith.
Summary
Zhao Leji, in his capacity as a high-ranking Communist Party official, is identified as one of the central figures currently leading security campaigns to monitor, arbitrarily detain, and forcibly “transform” Falun Gong believers throughout China. This directive extends to implementing policies that involve torture and extrajudicial killing of practitioners. The Party and government continue to direct considerable resources toward the suppression of Falun Gong, often prosecuting practitioners under the Criminal Law article that criminalizes using a “cult” to undermine the law.
His involvement is cited as part of a top-down directive from the leadership that enables extra-legal mechanisms to suppress the practice. The apparatus he oversees has been involved in ongoing violent campaigns against the group since its ban in 1999. Furthermore, his office's actions are linked to the broader playbook of repression applied to other religious and ethnic groups in China.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zhao Leji's position is one of active enforcement and leadership in the Chinese Communist Party's systemic suppression of Falun Gong. He is identified as one of the central officials leading security campaigns targeting the spiritual group. This support for the campaign involves extra-legal mechanisms and results in the detention and transformation of believers.
The available information does not indicate any change in Zhao Leji's stance regarding Falun Gong; his role is described as ongoing leadership in the repression. Since 1999, the CCP's position has been one of eradication, and his current duties align with continuing this policy.
The sources indicate Zhao Leji's involvement is through high-level directive and oversight rather than specific public quotes on the matter. For example, a secretary of his inquired about the sincerity of practitioners who had renounced the practice in Hunan in 2020. This suggests his administration is deeply involved in monitoring the compliance of persecuted groups.
Sources5
40 Falun Gong Practitioners Persecuted to Death, 5,313 Targeted in First Half of 2020
Background on the 610 Office
Freedom Forsaken: Falun Gong and Beijing's Playbook for Repression
Freedom of Religion
Zhao Leji's Australia visit: A dictator's henchman receives a warm welcome in Canberra
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.