Organization Department After the
18th CCP National Congress in November 2012, he was appointed a member of the
Politburo and
head of the Organization Department of the CCP. As the head of the Organization Department, Zhao was a critical figure in executing
CCP general secretary Xi Jinping's
anti-corruption campaign. Zhao worked closely with
Wang Qishan, the
Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's highest internal-control institution that has been noted for executing the anti-corruption campaign; in 2014, the ''
People's Daily'' said that "Whenever Qishan makes a move, Zhao Leji gets busy". During his tenure, Zhao also promoted
poverty alleviation and strengthening Party control in trading estates, office buildings and internet companies.
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in March 2024 Zhao was chosen to be the 6th-ranking member of the
Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision-making body, at the 1st plenary session of the
19th Central Committee of the CCP on 25 October 2017. In the same Session, he succeeded Wang Qishan to become the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. According to
The Wall Street Journal, Zhao "has been taking a largely hands-off approach during his time in office and barely involved in making decisions on investigations". In September 2021, Zhao spoke at a conference, announcing a nationwide audit of major financial firms and regulators.
National People's Congress Standing Committee Following the first plenary session of the 20th CCP Central Committee, Zhao was reappointed to the
Politburo Standing Committee, becoming its 3rd-ranked member, and was succeeded by
Li Xi as the CCDI secretary. On 10 March 2023, he was appointed the
chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, succeeding
Li Zhanshu. in Beijing, 29 January 2026 In May 2023, Zhao visited Senegal and Morocco. In March 2024, during a meeting of the NPC Standing Committee, Zhao Leji pledged to revise the National Defense Education Law with a focus on "modernizing China’s system and capacity for national security". He also signaled changes in the
Cybersecurity Law. The same month, he attended the
Boao Forum for Asia, where he called on Asian countries to "jointly maintain security in Asia". He also called for implementing the
Global Security Initiative. In April 2024, Zhao visited North Korea, making him the highest-level Chinese official who has visited North Korea since CCP general secretary Xi Jinping
visited North Korea in 2019. During the visit, Zhao holds a meeting with his North Korean counterpart
Choe Ryong-hae, the chairman of North Korea's legislative body and North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un. due to a
respiratory tract infection. Zhao missed the closing meeting of the
third session of the 14th National People's Congress on 11 March 2025 due to a
respiratory tract infection, which marked the first time in decades that the NPC closing meeting was not attended by all members of the Politburo Standing Committee. Vice Chairman
Li Hongzhong was entrusted on Zhao's behalf. He reappeared on 12 March while attending a meeting with state media employees to thank them for their coverage of the session. In November 2025, Zhao visited New Zealand, where he met with New Zealand Prime Minister
Christopher Luxon. He also visited Australia, where he met with Australian Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese. In March 2026, he gave a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia, where he said "The people of Asia, having endured the scourge of war and chaos, deeply understand the value of peace and stability" and that "We should ... respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, adhere to non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, [and] resolve conflicts and differences through peaceful means". == Notes ==