Zhou Hongxu is one of a group of officials in their 50s and early 60s at the front line of China’s top diplomatic events
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenWilliam ZhengPublished: 3:19pm, 25 Sep 2026Updated: 3:25pm, 25 Sep 2026Zhou Hongxu, the official who oversees President Xi Jinping’s security, made an appearance at the White House state banquet on Thursday night, alongside a cohort of other rising Chinese officials.
The banquet’s guest list described the 55-year-old People’s Liberation Army (PLA) major general as both director of the Central Guard Bureau and deputy director of the Communist Party’s General Office – the ruling party’s powerful administrative nerve centre.
His dual role as deputy director of the General Office aligns with precedent established during the tenure of previous Chinese leaders. According to Zhou’s scant official CV, he was born in the southwestern city of Chongqing and holds a master’s degree from the PLA’s artillery academy.
