The falsification of vaccines by Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology caused many children to fall seriously ill, affecting hundreds of thousands of families, and triggering a wave of nationwide public outrage. (The Dajiyuan)
[People News] Bi Jingquan, former member of the 14th CCP National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former deputy director of the Economic Affairs Committee, who was dismissed in May this year, was expelled from the CCP and removed from all public positions on December 8. In his early years, Bi Jingquan served as top aide to Vice Premiers Wang Qishan and Wang Yang. Later he oversaw national drug regulation, and in 2018 he “resigned to take responsibility” over the Changchun Changsheng vaccine scandal.
According to CCP mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency, Bi Jingquan was placed under disciplinary review and investigation for “serious violations of Party discipline and law,” expelled from the CCP and dismissed from his posts, and transferred to the judiciary. He was accused of resisting investigation; illegally accepting gifts; using his position to seek benefits for others and accepting money and goods in personnel recruitment; massively amassing wealth; and illegally receiving huge amounts of property.
What is puzzling is that the report did not specify the exact amount of the “huge wealth” Bi allegedly received.
In addition, Bi Jingquan’s public résumé contains unexplained points. On April 24, 2015, he resigned as deputy secretary-general of the State Council and became director of the State Food and Drug Administration. In March 2018, he became deputy director of the State Administration for Market Regulation. On July 15, 2018, Changchun Changsheng was found to have falsified records in its production of freeze-dried rabies vaccines for human use. Six days later, the company was again found using expired eggs to manufacture vaccines. At that time, the head of the State Council’s investigation team was Bi Jingquan, then serving as deputy director of the State Administration for Market Regulation. But one month later—just half a year into his deputy directorship—Bi Jingquan resigned to take responsibility for the vaccine scandal, becoming the first Central Committee member disciplined since the CCP’s 19th National Congress.
According to an August 2018 report by Radio Free Asia, Changchun Changsheng, in pursuit of huge profits, violated the Drug Administration Law and Good Manufacturing Practice rules, producing substandard DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccines and rabies vaccines. This caused multiple cases of children being injured or killed after inoculation, triggering massive public anger. Outraged netizens immediately pointed to collusion between officials and businesses, the collapse of social morality, and a system and environment in which the health of ordinary people—especially children—could not be protected. At the same time, numerous P2P financial platforms collapsed, bankrupting many middle-class families, leading to large-scale petitions. The CCP regime was extremely anxious, fearing even larger social protests.
On August 16, 2018, the CCP Politburo Standing Committee held a meeting to hear reports on the investigation and disciplinary actions related to the Changchun Changsheng vaccine scandal. Bi Jingquan and six other provincial- and ministerial-level officials resigned to take responsibility.
The report noted that many citizens believed the accountability process was overly hasty, overly utilitarian, and overly politicized—seemingly sacrificing a few officials to safeguard the system. At the center of public opinion was Bi Jingquan, former director of the State Food and Drug Administration. Many spoke out defending him, believing the punishment was unjust and revealing abnormal phenomena in the CCP officialdom.
Chinese netizens commented that Bi Jingquan was a sincere and responsible official who strengthened regulation and promoted innovation during his tenure, almost single-handedly steering China’s pharmaceutical and medical reforms onto the right path, and was regarded by the industry as the most effective drug regulator in years. Some netizens wrote: “Too many people should be responsible for the vaccine scandal, and Bi Jingquan absolutely should not be the one to resign.” Many viewed him as the scapegoat of a corrupt and dysfunctional system.
The report stated that many people compared Bi Jingquan—diligent and innovative—with political opportunists skilled only at flattery, especially those heavily promoted and protected by Xi Jinping such as Li Hongzhong, Cai Qi, and Chen Min’er. This comparison deepened their disappointment in the nepotistic political system. In this sense, Bi Jingquan’s fall has made more people see the ugliest side of the system—likely something the Politburo, desperate to divert public attention, never anticipated. △
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