Recently, there has been a significant shake-up within the leadership of the China Dancers Association, causing widespread concern. Officials have announced that the Chairman of the China Dancers Association, Feng Shuangbai, as well as Luo Bin, former party secretary of the association and deputy chairman, and Wei Li, deputy director of the Art Exchange Department of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Dance Art Center, are under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law. The simultaneous investigation of three officials from the same organization on the same day is quite rare.
On April 5th, the Anhui Commission for Discipline Inspection reported that Luo Bin, a former member of the party committee of the Dancers Association, is being investigated for serious violations of discipline and law.
Luo Bin previously served as the director of the Dance Research Institute, a researcher, and the director of the Dance Department at the Graduate School.
Also under investigation on the same day are Feng Shuangbai, the head of the Dancers Association, and Wei Li, the deputy director of the Art Exchange Department of the Dance Art Center.
Wei Li has previously worked as the secretary-general of the Dance Education Committee and the deputy director in charge of dance grading teaching materials. Feng Shuangbai is a well-known planner and the chief editor of a dance magazine.
Both Luo Bin and Feng Shuangbai hold doctoral degrees and are supervisors of graduate students.
All three individuals are considered “big shots” in the industry (a term widely used in the entertainment industry to describe highly renowned and influential artists).
A commentary article in the “Sing Tao Daily” pointed out that Feng Shuangbai and Luo Bin are not only key figures in the China Dancers Association but also prominent figures in the Chinese literary and artistic community.
These three individuals are closely involved in core positions of power within the dance industry. Feng Shuangbai has long been in charge of national-level dance awards, large-scale script creations, and fund distribution. Luo Bin controls personnel appointments and project approvals, while Wei Li oversees dance grading standards and training markets.
Compared to other member organizations of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles such as the China Calligraphers Association and the China Artists Association, the anti-corruption efforts within the Dancers Association have been delayed for many years.
In late October 2019, Zhao Changqing, former party committee secretary and vice chairman of the China Calligraphers Association, was investigated, becoming the first vice chairman to fall from grace in recent years.
Shortly after, Li Shijie, former chairman of the Anhui Calligraphers Association and director of the Anhui Calligraphy Institute, went missing. According to reports from The Paper, he was taken away by relevant authorities, with his situation potentially linked to Zhao Changqing’s bribery case.
On November 29, 2019, Du Jun, former deputy secretary-general of the China Artists Association, and seven other members had their memberships revoked. Du Jun was sentenced to six years in prison in July 2018 for bribery and corruption charges. Reports revealed that Du Jun helped others gain membership through bribery and ghostwriting.
Chinese media reported that Du Jun became a student of Liu Dawei, the former chairman of the China Artists Association, after being discharged from the military in 1998. Du Jun gradually rose through the ranks from deputy director to director to deputy secretary-general of the China Artists Association, using money to maintain what he called “teacher-student relationships.”
In July 2019, Du Jun was accused of assisting others in getting selected for exhibitions, winning awards, and obtaining membership in the Artists Association, accepting bribes totaling 1.31 million RMB, leading to a six-year prison sentence.
On November 30, 2020, Zhao Changqing was sentenced to twelve years and six months in prison for bribery. He was found guilty of seeking benefits through bribery in activities such as helping others become members of the China Calligraphers Association, getting elected to the board, and coordinating project cooperation, with bribes totaling 24.86 million RMB.