A mystery man who has shadowed Xi Jinping at international gatherings has finally had his identity revealed after attending a White House state dinner.
The man, mostly seen wearing a Mao suit, has accompanied the Chinese president to several major international gatherings like the G20 summit in Bali in 2022, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in San Francisco in 2023, and, most recently, the Brics summit in Delhi. And his identity has long been a subject of speculation.
Now, a guest list published by the White House has identified him as Zhou Hongxu.
Mr Zhou, 55, has been described as a People’s Liberation Army major general who serves as director of the Central Guard Bureau as well as deputy director of the Communist Party’s General Office.
Similar to the US Secret Service, the Central Guard Bureau is one of the most secretive parts of China’s security apparatus and is responsible for the security of the president and other senior leaders.
Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed Mr Zhou among the guests at the state banquet. He was seen standing behind US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
His emergence into clearer public view marks a rare moment of visibility for one of China’s most secretive security figures.
China has never publicly confirmed Mr Zhou’s role, while his official biography has little clarity to offer.
According to the biography, Mr Zhou was born in the southwestern city of Chongqing in 1971. He took a master’s degree from the PLA’s artillery academy and previously commanded an artillery regiment in the 14th Army Group.
He has also served as head of the military training department at the former Chengdu Military Region headquarters and as deputy chief of staff of the Northern Theatre Command Ground Force.
Mr Zhou assumed his role at the Central Guard Bureau around 2021 and was chosen as a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022, a landmark political gathering that cemented Mr Xi’s authority by granting him a precedent-breaking third term.
Experts at that time said Mr Zhou was the first head of the bureau appointed from outside the traditional security apparatus.
His prominent but quiet presence at high-stakes engagements shows that a younger generation of party cadres is arriving on the frontlines of some of China’s most consequential diplomatic events.
In a recent high-profile diplomatic engagement, Mr Zhou was seen attending a meeting alongside senior Chinese officials in Delhi when Mr Xi arrived for the Brics summit on 12 September.
CCTV footage showed him sitting between two of China’s vice foreign ministers. However, he was not identified by state media.
In 2019, Mr Zhou was seen sitting behind Mr Xi in Kathmandu when the Chinese leader met the then Nepalese president Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
