On January 4th, Zhou Xianwang, former Vice Chairman of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was placed under investigation. Prior to his position in the CPPCC, Zhou was the Mayor of Wuhan, where he faced heavy criticism for concealing and delaying the reporting of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2019.
According to the official website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, Zhou Xianwang, former member of the Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and the law”. The report stated that Zhou led a corrupt lifestyle, engaged in power-for-money and power-for-sex transactions, and illegally accepted large sums of money through his position.
A 64-year-old native of Hubei, Zhou Xianwang has held various positions in the Hubei government throughout his career, including Director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Commerce, Director of the Foreign Investment Office of the province, and Secretary of the Huangshi Municipal Committee. He served as the Vice Governor of Hubei Province in 2017 and was appointed as the Mayor of Wuhan in 2018.
At the end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak erupted in Wuhan. Zhou Xianwang, along with Ma Guoqiang, the Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee, and other leaders of the Wuhan party and government, faced criticism for their delayed response to the epidemic, which led to the outbreak spiraling out of control, attracting widespread public outrage on social media.
Refusing to be a scapegoat, on January 27, 2020, Zhou Xianwang stated in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that as a local government, they could only disclose the epidemic information after obtaining authorization, implying that the central government bore the primary responsibility for concealing the outbreak.
Subsequently, a purge took place in the Hubei political circle. In February 2020, Jiang Chaoliang, the then Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, and Ma Guoqiang, the Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee, were removed from their positions. In January 2021, Zhou Xianwang was reassigned as the Vice Chairman of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPPCC before stepping down in January 2023. On February 21, 2025, Jiang Chaoliang was accused of corruption and fell from grace. Zhou Xianwang was placed under investigation on July 8, 2025.
However, many analysts argue that the real responsibility for the epidemic lies with the centralized authoritarian system of the Chinese Communist Party, where officials are only accountable to their superiors and pay little attention to the welfare of the people. The top officials remain silent, and the lower levels do not take action until Xi Jinping made a statement on January 20, causing irreversible and severe consequences.
Analysts believe that the Wuhan epidemic exposed a massive failure in the governance of the Chinese Communist Party, directly challenging its legitimacy to rule.
Prior reports:
Wuhan Mayor Refuses to Be a Scapegoat, “Han Net” Challenges Beijing?
Former Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang Under Investigation, Hinted Responsibility for Concealing Epidemic Lies with Beijing.