In a recent case reported by the official WeChat account “Qinglian Tidu” of the Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision of the Communist Party of China in Lengshuijiang City, Hunan Province, a senior official from the petition bureau was accused of providing help to petitioners by writing or modifying their petition materials, severely tarnishing the image and credibility of the Chinese Communist Party. As a result, the official was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office, a punishment known as “double expulsion.”
The investigation revealed that the official, Fan Xihua, a former deputy section-level official at the petition bureau center in Lengshuijiang City, had committed “serious violations of discipline and law.” It was reported that Fan Xihua, as a communist petition officer, had “lost faith in ideals and betrayed his original mission.”
Fan Xihua was accused of writing or modifying petition materials for petitioners for personal gain, manipulating or inciting some petitioners to frequently and repeatedly submit petitions online, disrupting the normal order of petition work, and seriously damaging the image and credibility of the Communist Party and the government. He also abused his position to assist petitioners and unlawfully accept gifts from them.
The report stated that Fan Xihua severely violated the political discipline of the Communist Party, was suspected of bribery, and abuse of power crimes, which had a “serious impact.” He was expelled from the Party and public office and was transferred to the procuratorate for prosecution.
This news has sparked discussions among Chinese netizens, with many expressing grievances for Fan Xihua. Some comments include:
“In a world dominated by crows, the swan is accused. Why not accuse others of wrongdoing? Who else will be held accountable if not him? What are morals? Is there any decency left? This is a good cadre that petitioners urgently need. Free him! I remember him. Those who fail to punish the real wrongdoers are themselves the problem.”
Some netizens sarcastically commented, “Thank you for receiving a chicken; that’s considered accepting illegal gifts.” Others compared Fan Xihua to a village scholar in ancient times, helping people write petitions.
Internationally, the incident has also sparked discussions on various platforms. One user mentioned, “Those with a conscience within the system cannot survive, and it is impossible for their career trajectory to rise within the system.” Another user questioned whether there would ever be genuine top-down reforms in the system.
Many netizens expressed frustration at the treatment of officials like Fan Xihua, stating, “Officials who truly serve the people are punished while those who engage in corruption roam free.” Some believe that the core principle of the system is to prioritize party loyalty and maintain stability above all else.
The petition system in the Communist Party of China is intended to address grievances expressed by the people, commonly termed as “petitioning.” Under this system, there are petition departments at various levels of government. During politically sensitive periods, many petitioners are intercepted by authorities. Numerous detention centers operating as “guesthouses” become illegal black prisons for detaining and intercepting petitioners who have come to Beijing.
Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping, currently residing in the United States, has criticized the petition system, referring to it as a systemic trap. He emphasizes that the system is designed to drain the energy and resources of the people, rather than genuinely resolving their issues. Wu highlights that the system often leads to a cycle of shifting responsibility between different levels of government, leaving petitioners exhausted and frustrated throughout the lengthy process.