On September 29, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the Chinese Communist Party announced that Li Haitao, former Vice Chairman of the Political Consultative Conference and Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province, was recently arrested on suspicion of bribery.
Public records show that Li Haitao, aged 61, has been working in Heilongjiang Province for his entire career. He has held various positions such as Deputy Director of the Economic and Trade Commission of Heilongjiang Province, Deputy Director of the Provincial Economic Commission, member of the party group, Deputy Secretary of the Jiamusi City Committee, and Mayor. In 2011, he became the Secretary-General of the Heilongjiang Provincial Government.
In December 2013, Li Haitao was appointed as the Secretary-General of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and in early 2014, he became a member of the Provincial Committee and Secretary-General. In 2016, he was promoted to be a member of the Standing Committee of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, Vice Governor, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Government Party Committee, and concurrently served as the Secretary of the Party Committee of the Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. In January 2022, he became the Vice Chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Last September, Li Haitao was officially announced to be under investigation while in office, and this September, he was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and dismissed from public office.
In the official announcement, Li Haitao was accused of deliberately resisting inspection, frequenting private clubs, extreme greed, engaging in corrupt practices, and illegally accepting substantial bribes.
During the past week (September 23-29), a total of 5 senior officials at the provincial and ministerial levels, known colloquially as “tigers,” have been announced to be arrested. Apart from Li Haitao, the other 4 individuals are: Zhang Zulin, former member of the Provincial Government Party Group and Vice Governor of Yunnan Province; Liu Yuejin, former Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Public Security of the Chinese Communist Party (deputy ministerial level); Li Xianguang, former member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Heilongjiang Provincial People’s Congress; and Li Yong, former Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Director, and General Manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation.
Additionally, there have been 2 tigers on trial and 2 tigers officially dismissed. Tang Shuangning, former Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of China Everbright Group, appeared in court for trial, as did Xiong Xue, former member of the Party Group and Deputy Mayor of the Chongqing Municipal Government. Sun Yuning, member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs of China, and Cao Xingxin, member of the Party Group and Deputy General Manager of China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd. were officially announced to be under investigation.