Former youngest county chief in Guizhou, the “post-80s” official Xu Liuwei, is under investigation after a clash with the founder of Wanda Group, Wang Jianlin, over profit distribution issues of a local investment, leading to a controversy over “grabbing money”.
According to the Guizhou Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Xu Liuwei, a member of the Communist Party group of the Guizhou Provincial Administration for Market Regulation, is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” and is under investigation as of July 16th this year.
Public records show that Xu Liuwei was born in Hong’an, Hubei in June 1982, started working in August 2005, and holds a master’s degree from Renmin University of China. Xu Liuwei had served in the Guizhou Provincial Government Office for many years before becoming the Deputy County Mayor of Danzhai County in April 2012. In January 2014, he became the County Mayor, becoming the youngest county chief in Guizhou at the age of 32.
In June 2021, Xu Liuwei became a member of the party group of the Bijie Municipal Government, and later was promoted to Deputy Mayor of Bijie City. In July 2023, he became the Deputy Director of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. In February 2024, he was appointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Guizhou Provincial Government and a member of the Communist Party group of the Provincial Government Office. On July 10th this year, the Guizhou Provincial Government website announced a batch of personnel appointments, with Xu Liuwei no longer serving as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Guizhou Provincial Government.
During his tenure as county chief of Danzhai, Xu Liuwei clashed with Wang Jianlin, the founder of Wanda Group, sparking controversy. Wang Jianlin had led a team to Danzhai for a poverty alleviation inspection where he proposed investing in local businesses for poverty alleviation. During a meeting, Xu Liuwei suggested that all profits generated by Wanda’s industries in Danzhai should not be taken out of the county but should be unified into a poverty alleviation fund jointly managed by both parties and used locally.
A video circulating online showed Wang Jianlin, then China’s richest man, appearing surprised and suggesting to directly donate 500 million annually instead, allowing the county to distribute it themselves.
Following the circulation of the video, a controversy erupted over local governments “grabbing money”. Danzhai County Government later issued an emergency statement, claiming that some media maliciously distorted the facts in the video, misleading the public.
Xi Jinping’s administration’s “Common Prosperity” policy has been likened to the historical “land distribution from the rich” and is seen as a way to “grab money”.
Xie Tian, a professor at the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, once cited the example of then Danzhai County chief Xu Liuwei allowing Wang Jianlin to “donate” 500 million, stating that these billionaires were actually coerced into donating. The Chinese Communist Party implies and pressures these wealthy individuals in various ways, making them “donate”.