A massive anti-corruption storm is currently sweeping through the officialdom in Guizhou, as reported by Dajiyuan. Exclusive information obtained by Dajiyuan and official data reveal that the anti-corruption efforts in Guizhou Province have significantly accelerated since January. By mid-April, 18 provincial-level officials have been placed under investigation. Individuals familiar with the Guizhou discipline inspection system have told Dajiyuan that a key difference in this campaign from previous ones is that the investigative authority has been directly taken over by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, with local discipline inspection agencies only providing assistance. This signifies that the top leadership in Beijing is carrying out a “vertical strike” to cleanse local influences in Guizhou.
According to a source close to the Guizhou discipline inspection system named Liu Yuan, the significant difference in this round of anti-corruption efforts lies in who is leading the investigations. “Many cases are no longer led by the local authorities; the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is directly in charge now, with leads being passed down in batches, and local authorities are simply cooperating.”
Liu Yuan stated that between January and March this year, reports from Guizhou were concentrated and sent to the central government, resulting in a noticeable acceleration in investigations. “Over 3,000 reports from the public were received, and from obtaining leads to initiating investigations, this pace is unprecedented.”
An insider within the Guizhou system named Ge Li disclosed that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has substantially intervened in handling cases in the province’s political and legal, financial, and key state-owned enterprise sectors, issuing cooperation demands to the local authorities. “Maybe the outside world is not yet aware, but the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has directly taken over the Guizhou discipline inspection system. The secrecy level of this operation is very high, and in many instances, local officials are completely out of the loop. Even the provincial government cannot inquire; decisions on when to make public announcements are made by Beijing.”
Ge Li mentioned that such arrangements were uncommon in the past. “Once the investigative authority is centralized, the previously manageable relationships at the local level are now cut off. By isolating these local relationships, they prevent the communication of information among them.”
The investigations have extended across different systems, with the judiciary and health systems being the primary targets. The official reports from the Communist Party of Guizhou indicate that the investigations initially targeted the Guizhou Provincial People’s Congress, the judiciary system, and the health commission. The downfall of Yu Min, former Party Secretary and Director of the Provincial Department of Justice, who previously served as Deputy Prosecutor-General of the provincial procuratorate, has garnered attention.
A Guizhou resident familiar with the operations of the judiciary system, Mr. Shi, stated that this round of investigations displays notable systemic characteristics. “It’s not dealing with individuals one by one but tracing down from one system, often leading to a chain of individuals. This methodology differs from what was previously seen.”
Among the individuals reported by Xinhua News Agency and Guizhou officials on April 13, Pan Rong, the Secretary-General of the Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee, Kong Deming, the former Deputy Director of the Provincial People’s Congress Education, Science, Culture, and Health Committee, and Shi Yongzhong, a member of the Provincial Health Commission Party Leadership Group, have all been investigated. The detention of Ding Xiongjun, former Chairman of Moutai Group, shortly after stepping down as Chairman and assuming the position of Director of the Provincial Market Supervision Administration, has attracted widespread attention.
Mr. Shi, acquainted with the Guizhou state-owned enterprise system, mentioned that Ding Xiongjun’s position involves various aspects of resource allocation and the fiscal system. “His role not only manages enterprises but is intertwined with local finance and project funds. The related investigations may revolve around fund flow and resource allocation, issues that may not be solved quickly; it takes years to uncover.”
The investigations have expanded to include municipal levels, with the urban investment and financial systems being brought into scrutiny. Publicly available information reveals that several department-level officials in state-owned enterprises, energy, and finance fields have faced measures, including Zheng Yi, Assistant General Manager of Guizhou Financial Holdings Group, Luo Peng, Office Director of the Provincial Finance Department, and Zuo Qianrong, former Chairman of Bijie Kaiyuan Construction Investment.
Liu Yuan, the source, disclosed that the current round of investigations in Guizhou has touched most critical positions. “Positions like finance and urban investment control money and projects; once an investigation begins, it’s unlikely to stop at just one person. Some units are seeing clear signs of negligence, with many individuals pondering their next steps.”
Additionally, Long Qunyue, who had a long tenure in Tongren, was also reported to be under investigation. A person familiar with the local administrative system mentioned to a reporter that the investigations are expanding to grassroots levels. “It’s not just the provincial level in motion now; even the lower levels are starting to feel the impact.”
The atmosphere in the officialdom is tense, with more personnel likely to be implicated as the anti-corruption campaign in Guizhou continues to unfold. Individuals within the Guizhou establishment, like Ge Li, expressed that the ongoing investigations are progressing. “Many are feeling unsettled, especially those involved in previous projects, as they are concerned about being targeted. As the investigations deepen, more issues will surface, and more individuals may be taken away.”