Senior Official with 40 Years in Tibet Ousted for Corruption: Revelations Spark Intrigue

Former Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Wu Yingjie, has been arrested on suspicion of bribery. (Dajiyuan Composite)

People News - Former Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Wu Yingjie, has been arrested on charges of bribery. Speculation abounds regarding the true reasons behind the downfall of this "ministerial-level tiger." Two years ago, Wu was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department for human rights abuses in Tibet.

According to Radio Free Asia, the 68-year-old Wu Yingjie, who had a 37-year-long Party career, was placed under investigation on June 16, 2023. On December 10, it was announced that he had been expelled from the Party ("shuangkai") and referred for judicial proceedings. On December 25, China's Supreme People’s Procuratorate formally arrested him on bribery charges.

A report by People's Daily Online detailed the disciplinary notice, stating that Wu Yingjie "failed to implement the Party's new strategies for governing Tibet, extensively interfered in engineering projects for personal gain, severely impacted Tibet's high-quality development, and failed to enforce strict Party governance, allowing corruption to flourish." Other allegations include abusing power to seek special treatment for relatives, improperly interfering in law enforcement, using his position to profit from engineering contracts, and accepting large bribes.

Wu Yingjie, originally from Shandong Province, held a graduate degree from the Central Party School. After 1974, he spent most of his career in Tibet, holding roles such as Vice Chairman, Party Committee Propaganda Department Head, Deputy Secretary, and Executive Vice Chairman of the region. From 2016 to 2021, he served as Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

After stepping down in 2021, Wu held positions in the National People’s Congress and later as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The Party’s announcement indicated that Wu Yingjie’s expulsion from the Party and public office, confiscation of illicit gains, and criminal referral were all approved at the highest levels.

Speculations of Factional Infighting Against Xi Jinping’s Hardliners

RFA commentator Chen Pokong analyzed that Wu Yingjie’s issues are less about economic corruption and more about political struggles tied to high-level power dynamics. As an appointee of Xi Jinping, Wu was deeply involved in implementing Xi's hardline policies in Tibet, including suppressing Tibetan culture and demolishing monasteries.

Chen Pokong said, "After the Third Plenum in July this year, there seem to have been some changes. It appears that Xi Jinping may have experienced an illness, and shifts occurred within the top ranks of the CCP. Signs of collective leadership have emerged, and the extreme leftist policies have been somewhat restrained. Xi Jinping’s faction has faced setbacks, including the downfall of some military generals who were his people. It’s possible that Xi’s opponents are now seizing the opportunity to purge the extreme leftist agenda. They may aim to restore a certain degree of reform and opening up, as a gesture to the international community, using some individuals as scapegoats to test the waters."

Chen further stated that the faction opposing Xi may find it inconvenient to directly challenge him at this moment. Instead, following the ancient practice of "purging those around the emperor," they seem to have started cleansing his trusted aides, particularly targeting those closely aligned with Xi Jinping.

Chen noted that Wu Yingjie, having retired to less influential roles, became an easy target. The allegations of financial misconduct may be a pretext, with the real issue rooted in the factional battles within Zhongnanhai.

The Director of the Tibet Policy Research Center of the Central Tibetan Administration, Dawa Tsering, said in an interview with Radio Free Asia that Chinese officials are frequently investigated, often under the guise of anti-corruption campaigns.

Dawa Tsering, head of the Tibet Policy Research Center of the Tibetan exile government, remarked that Wu Yingjie was obedient in executing Beijing’s orders during his tenure in Tibet, albeit without adding the harsher measures seen under his successor, Chen Quanguo. Instead, Wu appeared focused on personal enrichment.

Tsering pointed out that in Tibet, officials wield near-absolute power, with few mechanisms for oversight, resulting in pervasive corruption. Attempts to expose corruption are often silenced with accusations of "destroying national unity" or "colluding with the Dalai clique."

Regarding why Wu Yingjie was investigated three years after stepping down, Tsering explained that retired officials often face scrutiny when others in their network fall. "If someone in their circle is implicated and reveals connections, authorities can follow the trail," he said. Such cases also provide anti-corruption agencies opportunities to claim achievements. "If not driven by political infighting, these cases often come to light through such chain reactions, especially involving retired officials," Tsering concluded.

Forty Years Controlling Tibet’s Propaganda and Political Departments Yet Accused of Ineffectiveness

Gesang Jiansen, representative of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Dalai Lama in Taiwan, shared his thoughts with Radio Free Asia: "Wu Yingjie spent 40 years in Tibet overseeing propaganda and the political and legal affairs system. The propaganda department controls people’s speech, wielding significant power, while the political and legal affairs commission oversees armed police operations used to suppress Tibet, making Wu’s hands stained with Tibetan blood."

Gesang Jiansen continued, "From 2016 to 2021, Wu served as the highest-ranking Party Secretary in Tibet, becoming one of the most effective enforcers of policies aimed at the cultural, religious, and ethnic erasure of Tibetans and the Sinicization of religion. After being semi-retired to the National People's Congress, he was arrested under the guise of anti-corruption. For the CCP to accuse such a brutal enforcer of Tibet policy of being ineffective, one can only imagine how much harsher the CCP’s oppression in Tibet will become in the future. This is a key indicator to watch."

Gesang Jiansen also questioned why the CCP chose to announce Wu Yingjie’s expulsion and judicial referral on International Human Rights Day. "What kind of message is the CCP trying to project to the outside world?" he asked.

He added, "The biggest issue to consider is Xi Jinping’s intolerance of dissent within his Party. For instance, it’s likely that during Wu Yingjie’s detention, he demonstrated a poor attitude and was accused of being ineffective in executing Tibet policies. This suggests he may not have fully aligned with Xi Jinping’s directives. The real reason for his downfall lies in internal conflict and political struggle. This case reveals the deeper factional infighting within the Party."