On Nov. 30, the same day that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced the death of former party leader Jiang Zemin, the State Council announced the removal of Gao Fu, deputy director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and former director of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and two other officials.
Officials at the NSFC, which is under the direct jurisdiction of the CCP’s State Council, usually serve a five-year term. Gao’s term began in 2018 and is not yet completed. The official reason for his dismissal was not published.