In a recent development in Guangxi Liuzhou, a large number of abandoned piers from the unfinished light rail project have been dismantled. The former secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee and the mayor, who were once strong supporters of the light rail project, have been removed from their positions. The Ministry of Finance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had previously reported typical cases of local government accountability for hidden debts, with the then Liuzhou Secretary Zheng Junkang and Mayor Wu Wei being held accountable.
According to the Liuzhou Daily, construction of the Liuzhou Rail Transit Line 1 trial section began at the East Plaza of Liuzhou Railway Station in December 2016. However, at the time of commencement, the project did not have the required “provisional permit”.
In June 2017, construction of Liuzhou Rail Transit Line 2 started. Zheng Junkang was the Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee and Wu Wei was the Mayor at that time.
Now, both Zheng Junkang and Wu Wei have been removed from their positions, and the light rail project in Liuzhou has long been suspended, leaving behind various “light rail relics” along roads like Liushi Road and Guilin-Liuzhou Road.
On November 4th, Guangxi Liuzhou Rail Transit Investment Development Group Co., Ltd. issued a construction notice announcing the decision to demolish the piers and associated facilities located on the north side of Guilin-Liuzhou Road.
On November 9th, the Hai Bao Newspaper reported that for many residents of Liuzhou, these “light rail relics” evoke unpleasant memories. A local resident of Liuzhou, named Zheng Hua, said, “The Liuzhou ‘light rail’ was built in 2016 and within a few years it was suspended. The construction of the light rail was supposed to facilitate the residents, but most of it doesn’t even pass through the city center.”
Zheng Hua recalled that during the construction of the light rail, Liushi Road had only two lanes open for one-way traffic, causing a traffic jam of up to three to four hours from the airport through Liushi Road to the city center. Even after the suspension of the project, the roads where the light rail was supposed to pass through remained in their construction state. It was only after many residents expressed their concerns that the construction barriers were finally removed to widen the roads.
“It shouldn’t have been built in the first place, and now dismantling it is just a waste of money!” Zheng Hua added.
On January 17th of this year, Zheng Junkang was removed from his position.
Public records show that Zheng Junkang had a long tenure in various positions in Liuzhou, including as District Chief of Liunan District, Secretary of the Yufeng District Party Committee, and Deputy Mayor of Liuzhou. In January 2008, Zheng Junkang was appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee, later becoming the Mayor, and in January 2013, he assumed the role of Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee.
In February 2021, Zheng Junkang retired from the position of Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee. He was succeeded by Wu Wei in the role of Secretary.
On November 16, 2023, Wu Wei was officially investigated.
In January of this year, Zheng Junkang was investigated as reported by official sources. On November 7th, Zheng Junkang was sentenced in a bribery and abuse of power case, with a 12-year imprisonment for bribery and a 6-year 6-month sentence for abuse of power, totaling 16 years and 6 months of imprisonment to be served concurrently.
Zheng Junkang was accused of using his positions as the Deputy Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee, Mayor, and Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee from 2009 to 2021 to facilitate and accept illicit gains totaling over 51.31 million yuan for related units and individuals in project contracting and planning adjustments.
From late 2015 to 2021, Zheng Junkang violated regulations by directing relevant units to construct the Liuzhou Urban Rail Transit Project through raising funds without obtaining approval from the State Council of the CCP, resulting in significant losses and adverse effects.
According to public reports, Zheng Junkang introduced the Liuzhou light rail project in 2015, planning a total of 7 routes spanning 226 kilometers. Construction of Liuzhou Rail Transit Line 1 commenced in December 2016, with Line 2 starting in June of the following year. Zheng Junkang retired in February 2021, and the Liuzhou light rail was subsequently suspended the next year.
Wu Wei was transferred to Liuzhou in 2015, serving successively as Deputy Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee, Acting Mayor, Mayor, and Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee. On November 16, 2023, Wu Wei was officially investigated.
In the report on Wu Wei’s disciplinary actions, he was accused of promoting “political achievement projects” that harmed the people and wasted public funds, frequenting private clubs, engaging in corrupt practices, accepting substantial amounts of money, and abusing his power, resulting in significant losses to public assets and national interests.
In November 2023, the Ministry of Finance of the CCP publicly reported 8 typical cases of local government accountability for hidden debts, including Liuzhou City requiring state-owned enterprises to provide funding for additional hidden debts of 17.695 billion yuan, leading to accountability actions against related responsible personnel such as then Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee Zheng Junkang and Mayor Wu Wei.
It was reported that Wu Wei, who was the Deputy Secretary of the Liuzhou Municipal Party Committee and Mayor at the time, received a political warning as a disciplinary measure as per the public announcement.