Wed Apr 02 11:00:00 UTC 2025: **Top CCP Officials Swapped in Rare Reshuffle, Signaling Potential Shift in Taiwan Strategy**

HONG KONG, April 2, 2025 (Epoch Times)— A surprise reshuffle within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership has seen the exchange of top officials at the Central Organization Department (COD) and the United Front Work Department (UFWD), according to sources cited by the pro-Beijing Sing Tao Daily. Stone Tai-feng, head of the UFWD, is reportedly set to replace Li Gan-jie as head of the COD, while Li will take over the UFWD.

This unprecedented swap of department heads, confirmed by anonymous sources and reported by the Sing Tao Daily, has sparked speculation of a significant shift in the CCP’s strategy toward Taiwan. The COD, responsible for personnel appointments and considered the most powerful department within the CCP, and the UFWD, tasked with overseeing the CCP’s influence operations, including those targeting Taiwan, are both central to the party’s power structure.

Stone, 68, a graduate of Peking University and long-time official at the Central Party School (CPS), served under Xi Jinping during the latter’s time as CPS president (2007-2012). Li, 60, a graduate of Tsinghua University and former environmental minister, is considered a technical expert with a less direct link to Xi’s inner circle.

Political commentator Li Lin-yi suggests this personnel move indicates a setback for the CCP’s previous strategy of “peaceful unification” with Taiwan, a plan orchestrated in part by Stone. Recent crackdowns on CCP infiltration in Taiwan have reportedly thwarted these efforts. Li also pointed out the possible tensions between factions within the CCP, with Stone’s CPS background appearing to gain the upper hand over Li’s Tsinghua University faction. The future role of Song Tao, another key figure in Xi’s leadership, remains a focal point for further observation.

The unusual nature of the reshuffle raises questions about the internal dynamics of the CCP’s leadership and hints at ongoing power struggles within Xi Jinping’s own faction. The change in leadership at these crucial departments carries significant implications for both domestic and international affairs, especially concerning the future of cross-strait relations.

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