Zhuang "King" Who Was a Step Away from Becoming a State Leader Reportedly Under Investigation with Relatives

Illustration: CCP Police Vehicle (China Photos/Getty Images)

[People News] The fallout from the detention of Lan Tianli, Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Government, continues to intensify. On May 14, Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily quoted informed sources saying Lan was taken away in Nanning on May 12, and it is widely rumoured that his younger brother and other relatives are also under investigation.

Rumours about Lan’s investigation first emerged on Sing Tao’s website on May 13. Reports noted that Lan was absent from two important events on May 12, including a meeting of the autonomous region's Party Standing Committee. News of his being taken away has already spread locally.

Guangxi is one of five autonomous regions in mainland China, currently overseeing 14 prefecture-level cities. It is home to 12 indigenous ethnic groups, including the Zhuang, Han, Yao, and Miao. By the end of 2022, Guangxi had a permanent population of approximately 50.47 million. The region is rich in mineral resources and is one of China’s ten key non-ferrous metal production bases. According to Guangxi media reports, from May 10 to 11, Lan conducted inspections in Hechi, Baise, and Chongzuo, supervising ecological protection and environmental remediation efforts.

Public information shows that Lan Tianli, now 62, has spent over 30 years in Guangxi’s political scene. He worked for a long time in the region’s Science and Technology Department, eventually becoming its director. He also served as mayor and Party secretary of Hechi. In 2011, at the age of 49, he became vice chairman of the autonomous regional government—a promising sign of a bright political future. He later served as executive vice chairman, chairman of the regional Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), deputy Party secretary of the region, and finally as chairman of the autonomous region government. Lan has been an alternate member of the CCP’s 18th and 19th Central Committees and a full member of the 20th Central Committee.

Known as the “Zhuang King,” Lan Tianli was just one step away from becoming a state-level leader. According to an unwritten rule, China’s five ethnic minority autonomous regions (the others being Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Ningxia, and Tibet) usually have a representative serving as a national leader in the National People’s Congress (NPC) or the CPPCC. Over the past three decades, nearly all former Guangxi chairmen, except for Lu Bing, became state leaders after stepping down. For example, Cheng Kejie became NPC Vice Chairman, while Li Zhaozhuo, Ma Biao, and Chen Wu served as CPPCC Vice Chairmen. If not for this sudden incident, Lan could have been expected to become a CPPCC Vice Chairman in March 2028. His downfall at the threshold of promotion has shocked both Guangxi and Guangdong, drawing strong attention from domestic and overseas observers.

According to Chinese-Australian anti-CCP dissident influencer Yin Ke (online name: Jiang Wangzheng), who shared on his social media program on May 12, Lan’s investigation is linked to the case of Jin Xiangjun. Jin, the governor of Shanxi Province, previously held various posts in Guangxi, including deputy director of the Labor Department, deputy director of the Department of Labor and Social Security, vice mayor, standing committee member and mayor of Yulin, as well as Party secretary and chairman of the local people’s congress in Fangchenggang. Jin was officially announced to be under investigation on April 12 this year.

On May 13, overseas netizen “Sato Peng” posted on social media, claiming that the political earthquake in Guangxi was triggered by Tang Renjian. Jin Xiangjun and now Lan Tianli are believed to have been implicated by Tang, who is a member of the CCP’s 20th Central Committee and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Tang previously served as a member of Guangxi’s Party Standing Committee, vice chairman of the regional government, and deputy Party secretary. On May 18, 2024, Tang himself was placed under investigation for “serious disciplinary and legal violations” and was expelled from the Party and removed from public office on November 15, 2024.

Political observers note that Lan Tianli’s disappearance from public view for several consecutive days signals a major shake-up in Guangxi. It is expected that the CCP will soon officially announce his downfall, possibly implicating a large number of officials.

The case evokes memories of Cheng Kejie, another former Guangxi chairman who was arrested while serving as NPC Vice Chairman in 1999. It was rumoured that his downfall stemmed from offending then-leader Jiang Zemin—after Cheng enthusiastically took the stage to greet one of Jiang’s favourite singers following a performance, reportedly displeasing the general secretary. Cheng ultimately became the first state-level leader in 50 years to be executed under corruption charges.

As of 8:00 p.m. on May 15, there has been no official announcement from the CCP regarding Lan Tianli’s fall.