On April 22nd, three senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party were expelled from the party. Former Chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial Political Consultative Conference, Han Yong, was accused of associating with political fraudsters, engaging in political opportunism, and lacking the courage to engage in struggle. Ling Chengxing, former Director of the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration, was accused of benefiting from tobacco consumption and financial gains. Zhang Xiulong, former Deputy Director of the Guangxi People’s Congress Standing Committee, was accused of blindly incurring high levels of debt and being promoted by a close associate of Zeng Qinghong.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on the 22nd that Han Yong, former Deputy Chair of the National Resources and Environment Committee of the CPPCC, former Party Secretary and Chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial CPPCC, Ling Chengxing, former member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, former Party Secretary and Director of the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration, and Zhang Xiulong, former Deputy Secretary and Deputy Director of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People’s Congress, have all been expelled from the Party.
Han Yong was accused of failing to engage in the struggle, associating with political fraudsters, and engaging in political opportunism. He engaged in nepotism, selling official positions for personal gain, accepting gifts and money improperly, engaging in irregular low-price property purchases, improperly intervening in disciplinary and law enforcement activities, and using public power for personal gain through corrupt practices and illicitly accepting large sums of money.
Han Yong was expelled from the Party, had his benefits revoked, and his illicit gains were confiscated.
At nearly 68 years old, Han Yong, originally from Jilin Province, served in Jilin, Xinjiang, and Shaanxi. He previously served as an alternate member of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC, Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Party Committee, Secretary and Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Party Committee, and Chairman of China Construction Group Corporation. From January 2016 to January 2022, during his tenure as Party Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial CPPCC, he also served as the leader of the Central “Anti-Corruption and Evil Elimination 10th Supervision Team” and the 20th Supervision Team. In January 2022, he stepped down as Party Secretary and Chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial CPPCC and was appointed as Deputy Director of the National Resources and Environment Committee of the CPPCC in March of the same year. Han Yong was investigated in October 2023.
Ling Chengxing, former member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, former Party Secretary and Director of the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration, and former General Manager of China Tobacco Corporation, was accused of obstructing inspections. He failed to report personal matters in accordance with regulations, sought personal benefits for relatives in employment and education, sought special treatment in transportation and medical care for relatives, benefited from tobacco consumption, collected money improperly, abused his authority, resulting in significant losses.
Ling Chengxing was expelled from the Party, had his benefits revoked, and his illicit gains were confiscated.
Ling Chengxing, a native of Jiangxi, served for a long time in Jiangxi and held positions such as Director-General of the Jiangxi Tobacco Monopoly Administration, Deputy Governor of Jiangxi Province, among others. In May 2013, he was transferred to Beijing, where he served in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration, and China Tobacco Corporation. Ling Chengxing retired on July 25, 2018, upon reaching the retirement age, and was removed from the position of Director of the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration.
Ling Chengxing is considered the highest-ranking official to be investigated in the tobacco anti-corruption campaign since the end of 2021 and the first “top leader” of the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration to be investigated since its establishment.
The National Tobacco Monopoly Administration, established in 1984 and under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, is known as one of the “most profitable state-owned enterprises in China.” Insiders in the tobacco industry have disclosed that the vertical power structure within this enterprise has created opportunities for internal corruption.
Zhang Xiulong, former Deputy Secretary and Deputy Director of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People’s Congress, was accused of favoring relatives and friends, seeking personal gains through power, resisting inspections, engaging in superstitious activities, concealing issues, seeking personal benefits for others in cadre selection and appointment, accepting bribes, engaging in significant illegal financial transactions, accumulating non-listed company shares through private borrowing, incurring high debts recklessly, engaging in corrupt activities, using his position to benefit others illegally, and accepting significant amounts of money illicitly.
Zhang Xiulong was expelled from the Party, had his benefits revoked, and was stripped of his qualifications as a delegate to the 12th Congress of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. His illicit gains were confiscated.
Zhang Xiulong had been promoted by Peng Qinghua, a close associate of Zeng Qinghong. In 2013, Zhang Xiulong was promoted from Lai Bin City to Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Autonomous Region CPPCC, and in 2015, he became Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region Government, all during Peng Qinghua’s tenure as Party Secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Peng Qinghua had long worked in the Central Propaganda Department and was considered a close confidant of Zeng Qinghong.
The expulsion of these officials reflects the ongoing efforts within the Chinese Communist Party to root out corruption and maintain party discipline.