Wuhan ex-mayor gets 14 years jail

BEIJING: A Chinese court sentenced the former mayor of the central city of Wuhan to 14 years’ imprisonment on Saturday after he was found guilty of accepting bribes in business deals.

Zhou Xianwang, whose tenure as mayor of Hubei’s provincial capital coincided with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the city, was placed under investigation in July last year.

He was found to have leveraged official roles, including as mayor of Wuhan, for personal gain from 2003 to May 2025, the court in Shangqiu in central Henan Province said in a statement.

“Zhou Xianwang took advantage of his various positions… to assist relevant entities and individuals with matters such as securing engineering contracts, business operations and administrative approvals,” the court said.

He accepted bribes in the form of money and property totalling more than 60.5 million yuan ($9 million), it added.

The court imposed a fine of five million yuan in addition to 14 years of imprisonment for the bribery offence, it said.

Zhou has served in a range of high-level roles, including as vice chairman of a provincial committee under China’s top political advisory body from 2021 to 2023.

Since coming to power over a decade ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping has engaged in a strident crackdown on official corruption within the ruling Communist Party.

Supporters say the campaign promotes clean governance, though critics say it serves as a tool for Xi to oust political opponents. – AFP