President Xi's trusted aide is about to become the head of national intelligence?

Mr. Wang Xiaohong, 60 years old, will replace Mr. Tran Van Thanh to hold the position of Minister of State Security of China. Photo: Getty

China has poured billions of yuan into domestic security, but in recent times the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security have seen many high-ranking officials involved in corruption scandals and intelligence failures.

Informed sources said that Mr. Vuong Tieu Hong, 60 years old, will replace Mr. Tran Van Thanh as Minister of National Security at the opening session of the National Assembly on March 5.

Chen Wenqing, 58, will become China’s top prosecutor after more than a year as minister of the Ministry of State Security, which is responsible for counterintelligence, foreign intelligence and national security. The personnel change is part of a broader cabinet reshuffle during the upcoming two-week session of parliament.

Mr. Wang and President Xi have a long-standing relationship. Mr. Wang is from Fujian province in southeastern China, where Mr. Xi spent 17 years gaining experience, from 1985 to 2002. “They are very close,” said a source familiar with the matter. “Wang Xiaohong often helps take care of President Xi Jinping’s daughter.”

In 2013, a year after Xi took power, China established a new national security council headed by Xi. While details of how it would operate and what its duties would be are unclear, the Chinese government has indicated that it will have a more domestic focus.

Analysts say the council is modeled after the US National Security Council and will strengthen coordination between different wings of China's security apparatus./.