‘A high-level operator’: Cai Qi’s rapid rise to become Xi Jinping’s right-hand man

Cai Qi is widely considered Xi Jinping’s most trusted ally in politics owing to the pair having worked together earlier in their careers. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

In a world of identikit bureaucrats, Cai Qi, the man described as Xi Jinping’s top lieutenant and recently revealed as the suspected ringleader of an alleged Westminster Chinese spy ring, stands out.

As the fifth-ranking member on the standing committee of the Chinese Communist party’s (CCP) ruling politburo, Cai is one of the most powerful people in China. But his importance outstrips even his senior title, because as the Chinese leader’s de facto chief of staff, he is also effectively the gatekeeper and right-hand man to Xi himself.