在美国和中国领导人计划于五月中旬在北京会晤的背景下，蔡奇被点名为习近平身边最引人注目的人物之一，显示其在日常权力运作中的高度接近和可见性，尽管他并非名义上的“第二号人物”。蔡奇与习近平相识超过三十年，官宣身份是由七人组成的政治局常委会中的第五位，但其实际职能上更接近核心协调者。

蔡奇是四十多年来首次同时担任中共中央办公厅主任，这一岗位使他控制习近平的日程安排、对其可接触人员和信息流的过滤，并常伴随其国内外行程，甚至管理其医疗事务。与此同时，他还领导中央警卫局（负责现任和退役领导人保护与监视），并与个人安全高度绑定。

这种安全角色在习近平自2022年以来清洗约三十多名将军后更具分量，其中包括被调查的最高级别军官之一张又侠（2024年1月受查），其拘留执行环节可能由警卫局人员完成。蔡奇还兼任中共中央书记处书记长（负责党务日常运作）、据称牵头网络事务委员会，并进入据称由高层公安、情报和军方组成的国家安全委员会，说明其权力在党务、安全与网络领域高度集中。

Ahead of the planned U.S.-China leaders’ meeting in mid-May in Beijing, Cai Qi is identified as the prominent figure to Xi Jinping’s right, indicating exceptional day-to-day visibility and access despite not being formally the top successor. He has known Xi for over 30 years and is formally ranked fifth among the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, while functionally serving as a central coordinating figure.

Cai is the first person in over four decades to hold the Party General Office chief role at the same time, giving him control over Xi’s schedule and gatekeeping of personnel and information reaching him, plus frequent accompaniment on domestic and foreign trips and even oversight of medical care. He also heads the Central Guard Bureau, which protects and monitors current and retired leaders, tying him directly to Xi’s personal security layer.

This security role is heavier after Xi’s anti-corruption and discipline purge of about three dozen generals since 2022, including top officers such as Zhang Youxia, investigated in January, whose detention is thought to have involved Guard Bureau staff. Cai also leads the Central Secretariat in daily party operations, is believed to direct a cyber-affairs commission, and sits on the National Security Commission with senior police, intelligence, and military officials, showing concentrated authority across party operations, security, and digital governance.

Source: At Xi's right hand

Dateline: The Economist May 2nd 2026