Advertisement
Ex-Communist Party boss Zhou Jiangyong pleads guilty in landmark Chinese anti-corruption case
- Zhou admits taking bribes from the private sector during his role as the party’s chief for e-commerce hub Hangzhou
- His downfall was key moment in Xi Jinping’s campaign to reset relationship between business and government
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
The former Communist Party boss of China’s e-commerce hub Hangzhou has pleaded guilty to pocketing more than 193 million yuan (US$28 million), with the high-profile case that sent shock waves through the private sector drawing to a close.
Zhou Jiangyong appeared at the Intermediate People’s Court in Chuzhou, in the eastern province of Anhui, on Thursday, where he made a final statement, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The court adjourned for a sentencing date.
Prosecutors said Zhou’s trail of corruption started in 2001, when he was a deputy county magistrate in Zhejiang province’s Yin county, and continued until 2021, three years after he secured the party leadership position in the provincial capital Hangzhou.
Advertisement
Despite his prominent support of the digital economy, the sector was not mentioned in the accusations which focused heavily on construction and land-related deals.
Zhou became one of the ruling party’s landmark cases in its drive to reset the money-tainted relationship between business and government – a key focus of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.
Advertisement
He was accused by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) – the party’s corruption watchdog – of supporting private capital’s “disorderly expansion”, a phrase used by Xi during the sweeping regulatory crackdown on China’s powerful tech giants.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x