Former Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan Under Investigation: Corruption or Disloyalty?

On June 9, 2012, the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing was visible at sunset following a rain shower. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] At 18:00 Beijing time on the 13th, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) announced that Huang Qifan, the former deputy secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee and former mayor of Chongqing, is under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law. He is currently undergoing a disciplinary review and supervisory investigation by the CCDI and NSC, confirming earlier online rumors about his arrest that our website reported this afternoon.

Huang Qifan, who currently serves as the vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, chairman of the Industrial Transformation Advisory Committee at Tsinghua University's Internet Industry Research Institute, co-chairman of the Expert Committee of the Landi International Think Tank, and academic advisor for the China Financial Forty Forum (CF40), began his career in Shanghai. He was appointed vice mayor of Chongqing in 2001, became mayor in 2010, and stepped down in 2016. In February 2017, he took on the role of deputy director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the National People's Congress of the Communist Party of China. He has worked under six secretaries of the Chongqing Municipal Committee: He Guoqiang, Huang Zhendong, Wang Yang, Bo Xilai, Zhang Dejiang, and Sun Zhengcai, earning him the titles of 'senior official of six dynasties' and 'the weeble of the officialdom'.

His sudden downfall has come as a surprise. The announcement from the Communist Party regarding the investigation did not clarify the specific disciplinary laws he is suspected of violating or the severity of these violations.

Huang Qifan has remained highly active in domestic affairs, recently gaining attention as an internet celebrity economist, providing insights on the economic landscape nationwide. Reports indicate that he had planned to deliver a lecture at Tsinghua University today (the 13th) and to speak at the 'New Quality Productive Forces Empowering High-Quality Development Forum for Hangzhou Enterprises' in Hangzhou, Zhejiang on October 26.

Netizen Gutenberg remarked: "I recently spoke with some friends in the real estate sector, and the current speculation about Huang Qifan's entry revolves around two key experiences: First, there are rumors that he is associated with Zhu Zong (Zhu Rongji), who previously governed Shanghai. Zhu Zong has just stepped down, and Huang was purged; Second, during his tenure in Chongqing, it coincided with Bo Xilai's administration there, which may have led to his current predicament."

According to Hong Kong media, Huang Qifan is the vice chairman of the China International Economic Exchange Center. Last May, its chairman Bi Jingquan was dismissed on charges of bribery related to his time at the center. In January of this year, the center initiated a rectification process. Caixin reported in February that the center was accused of raising funds by taking on local government projects and providing consulting services, which raised compliance issues. Some retired senior officials from the center have returned the fees they received, with some amounts being quite significant.

Commentator "Zhengjing Lu Shezhang" expressed on X: "Many people are unaware of Huang Qifan's corruption narrative. He could be considered the emperor of state-owned assets and finance in Chongqing. His son was notably active in Chongqing at that time and likely amassed billions. Boss Huang's involvement in interest transfer is also quite remarkable. Various reports suggest that Huang Qifan exploited his authority in Chongqing to accept bribes and engage in corrupt practices.

External commentary suggests that Huang Qifan's downfall may have repercussions for current Politburo Standing Committee member Ding Xuexiang. Independent commentator Cai Shenkun recently posted on X, stating: "Thinking he had landed safely, he did not anticipate that after the death of his influential backer Wu Bangguo, Huang Qifan would still face reckoning. For the Shanghai faction, this is merely the beginning; a larger storm is likely to follow, potentially involving the youngest member of the Politburo Standing Committee from the 20th National Congress, Ding Xuexiang." 

Huang Qifan's downfall has garnered significant attention, primarily due to his political partnership with former Chongqing Secretary Bo Xilai. In 2012, during the Chinese Communist Party's Two Sessions, he described his relationship with Bo to the media, saying: "I worked seamlessly with Bo, like a fish in water, and we enjoyed a pleasant rapport. However, it was during this meeting that he reported to Hu-Wen's central leadership about Bo's secret trip from Beijing to Chongqing to handle the Wang Lijun case. 

Earlier, after Wang Lijun received several slaps from Bo in Bo's office, he disguised himself as a woman and fled to the U.S. Embassy in Chengdu. It was Huang Qifan who, under Bo Xilai's orders, rushed to Chengdu with a convoy of armored vehicles to surround the U.S. Embassy, causing Hu-Wen to lose face on the international stage. In a fit of anger, Hu-Wen had both Bo and Wang imprisoned. 

Huang Qifan managed to evade this crisis, earning him the label of a 'weeble' skilled at navigating the CCP's political landscape. Now that this weeble has fallen, whether his downfall is linked to the 'poison' left by Bo and Sun, whether it stems from corruption or a misalignment in political stance, or disloyalty to Xi's central leadership, remains to be seen.

With the Fifth Plenary Session on the horizon, the Chinese Communist Party's crackdown on corruption has reached a fever pitch. By 2026, 12 officials at the ministerial level have been investigated. However, internet users have pointed out that figures like Huang Qifan, who are perceived as flip-floppers in the political landscape, are also held in low regard within the Communist Party.

(Originally published by People News)
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