Dozens of Senior Officials Purged Under Xi’s Anti-Corruption Campaign

Xi wants to eliminate his political rivals, expert says

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (front) delivers a speech as (L-R) Liu Yunshan, Zhang Dejiang, Li Keqiang, Yu Zhengsheng and Wang Qishan stand at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Nov. 15, 2012. Feng Li/Getty Images

News Analysis

Since Xi Jinping took office in late 2012, many high-level officials have reportedly been dismissed amid his anti-corruption campaign. One China expert says that the campaign was aimed at targetting Xi’s political rivals.

The number of officials who were removed from their posts and the amount of money they embezzled is just the tip of the iceberg, China expert Li Yanming told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Oct. 18. “The Chinese Communist regime is essentially a gang, using privileges and benefits to maintain the bureaucracy.”

As of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th Congress this month, at least 88 senior officials were allegedly punished for various crimes and misappropriating more than 100 million yuan (about $14 million), according to statistics based on official data from Beijing’s top disciplinary agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

Nine officials were charged with bribery involving over 1 billion yuan (about $140 million), and they include Zhang Zhongsheng, former vice mayor of Lüliang city in Shanxi Province; Zhou Yongkang, former member of the Standing Committee of the Central Politburo; Lai Xiaomin, former chairman of Huarong Asset Management; Yang Xianjing, former inspector of the Department of Land and Resources of Anhui Province; Bao Shengrong, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Erdos Party Congress; Gao Fubo, the former chairman of Jilin Trust Co., Ltd.; Li Jianping, former secretary of the Party Working Committee of Hohhot economic and technological development zone in Inner Mongolia; Chen Shulong, former vice governor of Anhui Province, and Cai Guohua, former chairman of HengFeng Bank, who ranked the highest in corruption at $10.3 billion (about $1.4 billion).

These officials allegedly committed crimes such as bribery, abuse of power, and embezzlement.

Li said that most of these officials were loyal to former CCP leader Jiang Zemin and his close ally Zeng Qinghong. They have monopolized state-owned resources such as minerals found in Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and Guangxi.

“The amount of corruption by powerful families such as Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong might be in the trillions,” Li added.

A coal miner works on coal seams in an open pit coal mine in Chifeng of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, on Aug. 19, 2006. China Photos/Getty Images

Corruption in Inner Mongolia

Inner Mongolia is an important energy security base in China. It is called the hometown of open-pit coal mining and is known for its abundant mineral resources. Its southwestern city Erdos makes up one-third of the region’s coal resources and nearly one-sixth of China’s proven reserves.

On Feb. 28, 2020, Xi launched an investigation into the region’s coal industry.

In May 2021, Guo Chengxin, retired former Party secretary and director of the coal bureau of Erdos, pleaded guilty in court for his role in a bribery scheme involving more than 200 million yuan (about $28 million). Guo had overseen the approval of coal projects for eight years, with shares in several coal companies, according to Chinese state media.

In April 2019, Xing Yun, a former member of the Standing Committee of Inner Mongolia, was expelled from the CCP for corruption and bribery involving more than 400 million yuan (about $57 million) and for violating Party rules such as “abuse of power” and “immoral lifestyle.”

In addition to the coal industry, Inner Mongolia’s banking and insurance systems, including Baoshang Bank, were allegedly involved in embezzling public funds.

Baoshang Bank is the first joint-stock commercial bank established in 1998 in Baotou city of Inner Mongolia. In February 2021, the bank went bankrupt due to heavy debts, according to public information.

On May 12, 2021, Xue Jining, Party secretary and director of the Inner Mongolia Bureau of Banking Supervision, was tried in court for taking more than 400 million yuan (about $57 million) in bribes following the arrest of the bank’s deputy director, Song Jianji, and three other Party committee members in the same bureau.

Ma Ming, former vice chairman of the People’s Political Consultative Conference of Inner Mongolia, was sentenced on Feb. 17 to life imprisonment for taking 160 million yuan (about $20 million) in bribes, and all of his personal property was confiscated.

Xi’s Goal Is to Take Down Political Rivals

Getting rid of corruption is not the only reason why Xi targets these officials, said Li, indicating that Xi’s primary goal is to eliminate the various forces within the CCP that influence his political decisions.

Zhou Yongkang in a courtroom in Tianjin where he was sentenced to life in prison on June 11, 2015. CCTV via AP

The case of Zhou Yongkang is a significant example. Zhou was sentenced in 2015 for allegedly misappropriating over 1.6 billion yuan (about $200 million), violating “Party discipline,” and “leaking Party and state secrets.”

He Pin, founder of New York-based Mirror Media Group, told VOA on Dec. 6, 2014, that it is well proven that Zhou’s biggest crime was organizing a “coup” before the CCP’s 18th Congress in 2012 in an attempt to prevent Xi from taking power. Zhou is widely known as a loyal follower of Jiang.

According to He, Zhou has placed many of his people throughout the political, legal, military, and financial systems, thus exerting influence over the CCP’s policymaking, which Xi deemed as a threat to his authority.

“The entire number of cadres involved is probably at least 200 officials at the vice provincial and ministerial level or above, with direct or indirect relations with Zhou,” He said.