Wang Zhonglin is under investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law", China's anti-graft watchdog said in a statement on Friday (Nov 13).
China’s national flag flutters in the wind lit by sunrise in Beijing on Nov 20, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
China’s national flag flutters in the wind lit by sunrise in Beijing on Nov 20, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
BEIJING: Wang Zhonglin, the former party chief of the central Chinese province of Hubei and its capital, Wuhan, is under investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law" - a common euphemism for corruption - China's anti-graft watchdog said in a statement on Friday (Nov 13).
Wang, 64, was thrust into the spotlight in February 2020 during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was appointed top official of Wuhan. He replaced Ma Guoqiang, who was removed from the post amid criticism of the city's initial handling of the outbreak.
Wang, also a member of the party's elite Central Committee, was promoted to governor of Hubei in 2021 and then in 2024 to its Communist Party chief, the province's highest-ranking official.
He was moved out of a frontline political role earlier this year after being named to a senior post in the country's largely rubber-stamp parliament.
A number of senior officials who served in pandemic-era Hubei have been purged.
Former Hubei party chief Jiang Chaoliang received a suspended death sentence for bribery in August. A probe into former governor Wang Xiaodong was launched in May.
Zhou Xianwang, Wuhan's former mayor, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in October over corruption.
Week in Review
Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.
Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.