On January 20, 2026, New Oriental founder Yu Minhong announced that the education group had hired Chen Xingjia as its chief adviser, a role that will pay Chen 1.5 million yuan a year. The public notice also said Yu would join Chen’s Henghui Public Welfare Foundation and that New Oriental would donate no less than 1 million yuan annually to the foundation, signalling a close institutional tie between the education giant and a well‑known philanthropic organisation.
Chen Xingjia is a familiar figure in Chinese civic and local government circles. Born in 1971, he holds degrees from Hubei University and Tsinghua University, and spent years as a county and township official before serving as party secretary in Badong County; he was named a “national outstanding county party secretary” in 2015. Chen left public office in late 2016 and founded the Shenzhen Henghui Public Welfare Foundation, which focuses on charitable innovation, major illness assistance, youth mental health and education support, and disaster relief.
The hire comes days after Chen attracted public scrutiny over pay disclosed in his foundation’s 2024 work report: it listed his remuneration at 730,100 yuan for the year, provoking debate about appropriate compensation for charity executives. The controversy prompted inquiries from the civil affairs authority and public statements from the foundation; Chen later said he would begin handing responsibilities to younger staff and stop drawing a salary from Henghui after an orderly transition.
For New Oriental, the move is both strategic and symbolic. The company has spent the past few years reshaping its business and reputation after Beijing’s 2021 crackdown on for‑profit tutoring. Yu’s pivot into live‑streamed retail and cultural tourism, and the success of the Dongfang Zhenxuan channel, have required a new public narrative. Appointing a respected charity leader with a government background and pledging regular donations is a rapid way to burnish New Oriental’s civic credentials while tying the brand to social causes — particularly education and youth wellbeing.
But the appointment carries risks. The public outcry over Chen’s foundation pay illustrates heightened scrutiny of pay and governance in the non‑profit sector. Close financial and personnel links between a major private corporation and a charity can invite questions about independence, conflict of interest and transparency. Any future revelations about remuneration, donation routing or governance arrangements could boomerang on both Chen and New Oriental, undoing some of the reputational gains the group seeks.
Politically and culturally, the episode reflects broader currents in China: private entrepreneurs are under pressure to demonstrate social value, charities face growing demands for professionalisation and clearer accountability, and officials‑turned‑philanthropists occupy a sensitive space between public service and private initiative. Yu’s public declaration that he is personally joining Henghui’s work is intended to show personal commitment, but it also ties one of China’s best‑known education entrepreneurs more tightly to a figure who has recently been at the centre of controversy.
Practically, the move may yield near‑term benefits for New Oriental: Chen’s networks in local government and philanthropy could open doors for education, tourism and cultural projects and help smooth approvals or partnerships. Long‑term payoff will depend on governance safeguards, disclosure practices, and whether the group and the foundation can demonstrate independent oversight of funds and clear separation of advisory and operational roles.
For international observers, the story is a useful lens on how China’s private educational and philanthropic sectors are evolving. It shows corporate efforts to rehabilitate reputations through public‑facing philanthropy, but also the brittle nature of public trust in an age where executive pay and institutional links are immediately scrutinised online. How New Oriental and Chen manage transparency and accountability in the coming months will determine whether this appointment is a savvy repositioning or a fresh vulnerability.