Employees measure the body temperature of passengers at a highway exit in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, Wuhan pneumonia. ⓒ AFP = News1 ⓒ News1 Reporter Woo dong-myeong
(Beijing = news 1) Correspondent Eunji Jeong – As China’s anti-corruption movement continues, local media, including caixin, reported on January 5, 2026, that a bureaucrat who served as the mayor of Wuhan, Hubei Province during the spread of COVID-19 was given a ‘dual punishment’ of being stripped of both party membership and public office. COVID-19 is known to have originated in Wuhan in November 2019.
The Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission announced they would impose two sanctions against Zhou xianwang, former vice chairman of the CPPCC of Hubei Province, stating he “traded power and money and his life was corrupt and depraved.”
According to reports, Zhou Xianwang abused his position to seek benefits for himself and others, accepting bribes worth 16.93 million yuan (approximately $2.4 million USD). He also engaged in improper transactions and exerted undue influence in business operations.
The authorities stated that Zhou Xianwang’s actions severely violated the party’s discipline and the country’s laws, and that his ill-gotten gains would be confiscated.His case has been transferred to the judicial authorities for further investigation and prosecution.
This action is part of a broader crackdown on corruption within the Chinese government, notably targeting officials involved in the initial handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Chinese government has been under pressure to address public concerns about corruption and accountability in the wake of the pandemic.