The Vice Secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Party Committee and Chairman of the Autonomous Region Government, Lan Tianli, who was recently taken down, has been removed from office. His position as a national People’s Congress representative has been revoked.
On the evening of May 29, Chinese state media reported that the 16th meeting of the 14th Guangxi People’s Congress Standing Committee closed with the decision to accept Lan Tianli’s resignation from the position of Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region due to serious violations of discipline and law. They also voted to remove Lan Tianli from his position as a national People’s Congress representative.
Lan Tianli was taken down on May 16, becoming the second provincial-level government leader to be investigated during the term since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022. In April of this year, Jin Xiangjun, the Deputy Secretary of the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee and Governor, was also taken down during his tenure.
The 63-year-old Lan Tianli, a Zhuang ethnic, is from Hecih, Guangxi. His career has been predominantly in Guangxi, earning him the titles of “King of Guangxi” and “Zhuang King.” His investigation has drawn strong attention both domestically and internationally.
Reports indicate that Lan Tianli’s wife, Wei Xiaoyan, his younger brother, and even his son have been arrested, and his secretary was not spared either.
Having been immersed in the Guangxi political arena for over thirty years, it is widely speculated that Lan Tianli’s downfall is expected to implicate numerous officials. Analysts from Hong Kong believe that as a rare ethnic minority high-ranking official within the Chinese Communist hierarchy, Lan Tianli would have likely been promoted if not for his downfall. His case may involve corruption in non-ferrous metals, with an estimated 800 officials and businessmen expected to be implicated.
On May 19, Chen Gang, the Secretary of the Guangxi Autonomous Region Party Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress, chaired a meeting. Chen Gang stated that Lan Tianli’s case serves as a warning that there are no guarantees of immunity or protection in politics. Chen Gang also mentioned that Lan Tianli “seriously disrupted the political ecology of Guangxi.”
Chen Gang proposed for the first time a “ten-year special operation to investigate illegal mining and heavy metal pollution issues,” ordering a focus on addressing problems like collusion between officials and businessmen, official corruption, and serious violations by enterprises.
Guangxi is particularly known for its aluminum and tin mineral resources, with Hecih, Lan Tianli’s hometown, being called the “Land of Chinese Non-ferrous Metals.” Over the years, indiscriminate mining in areas like Hecih and Baise has severely polluted the ecological environment.
In recent times, several officials in Guangxi have been taken down, including Zhong Hengqin, the Deputy Mayor in charge of Qinzhou City, Li Wenbo, the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee Political and Legal Affairs Committee, Wei Yan, the Secretary-General of Wuzhou City Committee, and Pan Liaoting, the Deputy General Manager of Beibu Gulf International Port Group, who is an expert in non-ferrous metals.
According to the Australian-based anti-Communist internet celebrity Yin Ke (online pseudonym “Jiang Wangzheng”), Beijing has classified Lan Tianli’s case as “treason.” Following Lan Tianli’s investigation, Guo Shengkun and the officials he promoted in Guangxi were also summoned.
Guo Shengkun had long been in charge of Guangxi before being promoted to a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. Not only is he a former member of the Politburo and a heavyweight in the Jiang faction, but it is also said that he is the distant nephew of the Jiangxi native Zeng Qinghong.