Former Chairman of State Grid, Kou Wei, Under Investigation, Implicates the Li Peng Family

Photo: Tiananmen Square under heavy clouds. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] On December 21, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced that Kou Wei, General Manager of China Datang Corporation, is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law.” Kou, aged 63, has held key positions within the power system and the Huaneng Group—both dominated by the family of former Premier Li Peng—exercising significant power.

Datang Corporation, established in December 2002, is a centrally managed state-owned energy enterprise and one of China’s five major power generation groups.

With Kou Wei’s downfall, the number of central government officials investigated this year has risen to 57. These officials, known as “central cadres,” are typically senior officials at the deputy ministerial level or above, whose appointments and removals are managed by the CCP’s Central Committee.

Public records show that Kou Wei has had a long career in Yunnan’s power system. He has served as Deputy Director (Deputy General Manager) of the Yunnan Electric Power Industry Bureau (Company), Deputy General Manager of Yunnan Electric Power Group Co., Ltd., and General Manager of Yunnan Lancang River Hydropower Development Co., Ltd. He later became Chairman and Party Secretary of Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co., Ltd., as well as Chief Engineer of China Huaneng Group. In February 2010, Kou Wei was promoted to Deputy General Manager of Huaneng Group.

On July 1, 2016, Kou Wei was appointed General Manager of the State Grid Corporation of China. In December 2018, he became the Chairman of the State Grid. However, in January 2020, Kou Wei was abruptly transferred to Datang Corporation to serve as General Manager.

The CCP’s power system has long been under the influence of former Premier Li Peng’s family. Li’s son, Li Xiaopeng, held senior positions in Huaneng Group, serving in key roles from 1999 until June 2008, when he resigned as General Manager of China Huaneng Group and Chairman of Huaneng International to become Governor of Shanxi Province. He later served as Minister of Transport and Party Secretary. In November this year, the 65-year-old Li Xiaopeng stepped down as Minister of Transport and transitioned to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, effectively retiring.

Observers at the time believed that the Li Peng family had largely been marginalized.

Kou Wei’s tenure in Huaneng’s Yunnan system and as Chief Engineer likely overlapped with Li Xiaopeng’s time in the system.

Additionally, Li Peng’s daughter, Li Xiaolin, known as the “Electricity Queen,” served as Vice General Manager of Datang Corporation starting July 7, 2015, before retiring in May 2018. The Li family’s influence in both politics and business has gradually waned.

The CCP’s official announcement did not specify the details of Kou Wei’s alleged violations, only describing them as “serious.” According to CCP rhetoric, such violations often signify political issues rather than just economic corruption, implying that Kou Wei may be targeted for political disloyalty under the guise of corruption. Analysts suggest that while it remains to be seen whether Kou Wei’s investigation implicates the Li Peng family, it is clear that the family can no longer protect him.

According to incomplete statistics, as of mid-this-month, more than 10 senior CCP officials at the ministerial level or above (referred to as "tigers") have been dealt with by the CCP. These include Ji Binchang, former Vice Governor of Shandong Province, who was accused by the Jiangsu Wuxi Intermediate Court on December 20 of accepting bribes totaling 526 million yuan and was sentenced to a suspended death penalty. Those handled previously include: December 19: Gou Zhongwen, former Standing Committee Member of the National Committee of the CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), former Deputy Director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee, and a 19th Central Committee member, was arrested. On the same day, Han Yong, former Deputy Director of the Population, Resources, and Environment Committee of the CPPCC and former Chairman of the Shaanxi Province CPPCC, was tried and accused of accepting bribes exceeding 261 million yuan. December 17: Xiong Xue, former Vice Mayor of Chongqing, was accused of illegally amassing wealth totaling 148 million yuan and was sentenced to a suspended death penalty. December 16: Wu Cunrong, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Shanxi Province CPPCC, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. December 12: Liu Xingtai, former Deputy Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial People's Congress, was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes. On the same day, Xu Zuo, former Party Committee Member and Deputy General Manager of CITIC Group, was accused of polluting the political environment of his workplace, resisting organizational investigations, engaging heavily in "exploiting the enterprise for personal gain," and obtaining enormous illegal benefits. He was "double-dismissed" (expelled from the Party and removed from public office) and transferred to the judiciary. December 11: Li Pengxin, former Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Qinghai Province, was indicted and accused of illegally accepting a particularly large amount of financial assets. On the same day, Ma Fengsheng, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the Qinghai Province CPPCC, was placed under investigation. December 10: Tang Shuangning, former Chairman of China Everbright Group, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Tangshan Intermediate Court in Hebei Province for embezzlement and accepting bribes. He was also fined 1.3 million yuan. Additionally, Yang Zixing, former Party Leadership Group Member and Vice Governor of Gansu Province, was expelled from the Party and had his benefits revoked for engaging in political networking, resisting organizational investigations, and conducting extensive power-for-money transactions. He has been transferred to the judiciary for further processing.