The Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Government, Lan Tianli, has been placed under investigation, becoming the first “top leader” of an autonomous region to be investigated while in office, attracting strong attention both domestically and internationally. Analysts believe that as a minority high-ranking official within the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Lan Tianli was on track for promotion if no issues arose. It is believed that this case was approved by the highest leader of the CCP and has wide-ranging implications.
Lan Tianli was officially placed under investigation on May 16th. It was reported by Caixin on the same day that news of Lan Tianli’s investigation had already surfaced on May 12th. Lan Tianli’s wife, Wei Xiaoyan, was also investigated simultaneously.
On May 16th, the Standing Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Party Committee held an enlarged meeting to report on the case of Lan Tianli. All attendees expressed support for the decision of the top CCP leadership.
On May 19th, Chen Gang, Secretary of the Guangxi Autonomous Region Party Committee and Director of the People’s Congress Standing Committee, presided over a meeting. Chen Gang stated that the lessons from Lan Tianli’s case are extremely profound, warning once again that there are no guarantees against punishment and no “iron-clad protection.” Chen Gang also accused Lan Tianli of “seriously damaging the political ecology of Guangxi.”
An article published on May 20th by Hong Kong commentator Ji Xiaohua explained that “iron-clad protection” refers to the imperial practice of inscribing words on an iron plate with vermillion ink to confer recognition to exceptional officials, while “iron-capped king” was a colloquial term during the Qing Dynasty for those who inherited their titles without merit. Chen Gang’s severe characterization of Lan Tianli and his harsh criticism, according to Ji Xiaohua, is unlikely to be a personal decision and likely comes from the top leadership in Zhongnanhai – the headquarters of the CCP. The overwhelming response from various levels of government after Lan Tianli’s downfall, from the regional party committee, government, People’s Congress, Political Consultative Conference, to the 14 prefecture-level cities, indicates the complexity of this case.
The article stated that Lan Tianli’s case involved family corruption. After Lan Tianli’s fall, reports emerged that his wife, younger brother Lan Xjie, and even his son were also detained, with his secretary not being spared. The call from Chen Gang to all party members and cadres in the region to be vigilant and strictly manage their families and associates suggests a high level of involvement from others.
Lan Tianli had been immersed in the political arena of Guangxi for over thirty years. Many reports suggest that his downfall is expected to entangle a large number of officials. Ji Xiaohua believe that based on Chen Gang’s characterization of Lan Tianli’s actions as “seriously damaging the political ecology of Guangxi,” Lan Tianli’s alleged involvement in forming factions and collusion will likely implicate many officials.
Recently, several officials in Guangxi have been investigated, including Vice Mayor Chen Hengqin of Qinzhou City, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee Political and Legal Committee Li Wenbo of the Autonomous Region, Secretary of the Wuzhou City Party Committee Wei Yan, and Deputy General Manager Pan Liaoting of the Beibu Gulf International Port Group.
Ji Xiaohua believes that Lan Tianli’s case involves corruption in non-ferrous metals. Guangxi’s mineral resources are especially rich in aluminum and tin, with Lan Tianli’s hometown of Hechi being known as the “home of Chinese non-ferrous metals.” Over the years, due to unregulated mining activities in Hechi, Baise, and other areas, there has been severe environmental pollution, indicating underlying protection that has caught the attention of senior CCP officials. Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu was dispatched to oversee the environmental cleanup operations.
Therefore, this case is expected to involve corruption in non-ferrous metals. It is worth noting that Pan Liaoting, who was investigated, is an expert in non-ferrous metals.
Just before his downfall, Lan Tianli made a public appearance. According to a report by the Beijing Youth Daily, on May 10th to 11th, Lan Tianli went to three cities to conduct research and inspections on the rectification of ecological environmental protection issues. The first stop of his research was Hechi City. Hechi City alone accounts for one-third of the national reserves of tin, and ranks second in reserves of antimony, lead, and zinc nationwide. With large-scale exploitation of mineral resources, environmental issues have become increasingly prominent, with heavy metal pollution being a major concern, becoming a persistent issue in the region.
Lan Tianli previously served in various positions in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Science and Technology Committee, including Vice Director of the High-Tech Division, Researcher of the High-Tech Division, and Assistant to the Director of the Guangxi Branch of the China Academy of Science and Technology Development. He later held positions such as Deputy Director of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Department in 1998 and concurrently served as Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region Association of Science and Technology in 2002.
In 2003, Lan Tianli was appointed as Director and Party Secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Science and Technology Department, later taking on positions such as Chairman and President of the Guangxi Branch of the China Academy of Science and Technology Development. In 2007, he became the Mayor of Hechi City, and in 2008, he became the Secretary of the Hechi City Party Committee.
In 2011, Lan Tianli was appointed as Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Government and later concurrently held positions such as Director and Party Secretary of the Office of the Planning and Construction Management Commission of the Beibu Gulf (Guangxi) Economic Zone, Director and Party Secretary of the Comprehensive Bonded Area Management Committee in Pingshang, and Director and Party Secretary of the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park Management Committee.
In 2015, Lan Tianli became a member of the Standing Committee of the Guangxi Autonomous Region Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region Government, and a year later he was promoted to be the Executive Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region Government.
In 2018, Lan Tianli was appointed as the Chairman and Party Secretary of the Guangxi Political Consultative Conference. In October 2020, Lan Tianli became the Deputy Secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Party Committee and Acting Chairman of the Autonomous Region Government, before assuming the position of Chairman.