(TibetanReview.net, Jun17’24) — China said Jun 16 that it had put under investigation for what amounts to corruption and abuse of power a Chinese man who had spent nearly half a century serving his home country in occupied Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), including a five-year stint (2016-21) as its top official. The move is also seen as targeting another former long-time TAR top official who was at one time seen as a potential successor to President Xi Jinping.
Wu Yingjie, a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and director of the Committee on Cultural, Historical Data and Studies under the CPPCC National Committee, is under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation, reported China’s official globaltimes.cn Jun 16, citing an announcement from the country’s top anti-graft watchdogs, namely the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection (CCDI) and the National Commission of Supervision.
CCDI did not release details of his alleged crimes, but the term “serious violations of discipline and laws” used in its announcement is a widely used euphemism for corruption or political misdeeds, noted the scmp.com Jun 17. He is the eighth ministerial-level official to be taken down by the CCDI since a major political reshuffle at the 20th party congress in Oct 2022, the report said.
Born in Dec 1956 in Shandong province, Wu, 67, holds a graduate degree from the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance). From the start of his service in 1974 till 2021, he held various positions in TAR, including as the head of its education department, executive vice chairman of government, and finally the Party chief.
His rise through the ranks was steady, holding various positions within the education sector for two decades. He was responsible for developing and implementing education policies and handling cultural affairs, the scmp.com report said.
From Oct 2021 to Mar 2023, after transfer from TAR, he served as the deputy director of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the National People’s Congress.
In Dec 2022, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Wu under the Global Magnitsky Act for human rights abuses in Tibet.
With Wu, the number of senior officials who were directly appointed by CPC Central Committee investigated from January to June this year has risen to 33. This includes Wang Yong, a member of the Party leadership group and vice chairman of TAR Government, who was placed under investigation in January, the report said.
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Many consider the latest crackdown on corrupt officials, together with Wu Yingjie, as targeting Hu Chunhua, a Politburo member and Vice Premier of the State Council from 2018 to 2023, noted breakinglatest.news Jun 17. Hu, a native of Yichang, Hubei province, began working in TAR after graduating from Peking University in Aug 1983, majoring in Chinese language and literature. He rose through the ranks to finally become deputy secretary of the CPC TAR Regional Committee from Nov 2003 to Nov 2006 and vice chairman of the TAR Government from Nov 2003 to Nov 2005.
Said to be fluent in Tibetan while working in TAR, Hu was once popularly known as “Heir apparent of Tuanpai” due to the similarities of his career with those of former CPC general secretary Hu Jintao and Li Keqiang. But Xi wanted to rule for life and did not want anyone to be seen as a potential successor. And so, Hu lost his Party Politburo seat in 2022 and ceased to be Vice Premier in 2023, only retaining his CPC central Committee membership. In Mar 2023, he became a vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
And now, the breakinglatest.news report cited analysts as saying Xi Jinping’s authorities were conducting thorough investigations into businesses and officers linked to Hu Chunhua, indicating a political motive behind the anti-corruption targets.