Xi'an Secretary Fang Hongwei, a Close Ally of Xi Jinping, Has Been Dismissed From His Position

Dark clouds loom over Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

[People News] Recently, news emerged online regarding the downfall of Fang Hongwei, the Secretary of the Xi'an Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, which was confirmed by the Chinese Communist Party on November 7. On that day, the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission announced that Fang Hongwei, a member of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Xi'an Municipal Committee, is under investigation for 'serious violations of discipline and law.' Fang, a fellow townsman and alumnus of Xi Jinping, often identifies himself as a native of Fuping, suggesting his close association with Xi. However, reports indicate that he was so terrified during his arrest that he urinated in his pants; what exactly transpired?

Arrest of the Xi'an Secretary

Hong Kong's Ming Pao cited sources in Xi'an reporting that Fang Hongwei was scheduled to investigate religious affairs in Xi'an on November 5 and intended to publicly announce his itinerary to counter rumours of his 'disappearance' due to trouble. However, he was intercepted and taken away by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection en route. The report quoted a businessman from another province operating in the area, who stated that Fang was not only involved in corruption but also allowed his relatives to exploit his influence for personal gain. 'The local business community is aware that Fang Hongwei's wife and sister have a 'big appetite.'

Overseas media figure Jiang Wangzheng (Yin Ke) disclosed on November 5 that, after verifying multiple sources, Fang Hongwei was ambushed and taken away by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection while conducting research at the Guanyin Zen Temple in Chang'an District that morning. His life secretary, confidential secretary, security secretary, and duty secretary were also simultaneously detained. His wife was also taken into custody by the Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Commission.

Reports suggest that when Fang Hongwei was apprehended by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, he turned pale with fear, his legs buckled, and he urinated in his pants on the spot, causing a stir among those present.

Public records indicate that Fang Hongwei, born in 1966, hails from Fuping, Shaanxi, which is also the hometown of Xi Jinping. He is a graduate of Tsinghua University, where he studied automotive engineering. Fang worked for many years at the Shaanxi Automobile Manufacturing General Factory and became the chairman of Shaanxi Automobile Holding Group Co., Ltd. in 2012. He has also served as a standing committee member of the Shaanxi Provincial Political Consultative Conference and deputy director of the Science and Technology Committee. In May 2021, he was appointed as a standing committee member and secretary-general of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee, and in November 2021, he took on the role of standing committee member of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee and secretary of the Xi'an Municipal Committee. Fang Hongwei is a candidate member of the 20th Central Committee.

Fang frequently mentions his roots in Fuping, Shaanxi, indirectly boasting of his close ties to Xi Jinping. Consequently, it is well-known in Xi'an's political circles that 'Fang Hongwei is a key figure in Xi's faction and a prominent member of the local party.' He maintains a particularly close relationship with Xi Jinping's brother, Xi Yuanping.

The embarrassing antics of corrupt Communist Party officials when they are apprehended often leave onlookers astonished.

For example, state media have reported on officials like Fang Hongwei, who, when caught, 'wet their pants.' A notable case is that of Yang Yiwen, the former secretary of the Changde Municipal Committee in Hunan Province, who was arrested in November 2021. As he was led away by two investigators, 'his pants were soaked, and an unknown liquid flowed all over the ground.'

Beyond simply wetting themselves in fear, the reactions of Communist Party officials of all ranks during their arrests can vary widely. Some jump from buildings, some are paralysed with fear, some kneel and plead for mercy, some weep uncontrollably, some look up to the sky, and others even resist arrest...

When Yang Weize, the former member of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Nanjing Municipal Committee, was dismissed, insiders reported: "Earlier, Yang Weize had smoked for fifteen minutes in the Provincial Committee office. Upon noticing the staff from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, he immediately attempted to run to the window to jump, but was restrained." 

Yang Hongwei, the Deputy Secretary of the Chuxiong Prefectural Committee of Yunnan Province and Governor, was so terrified upon seeing the discipline inspection personnel that he became paralysed and was ultimately carried away by four police officers. Liu Tienan, the former Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, was taken away by discipline inspection personnel from the 'Ministerial Building.' When the discipline inspection personnel rang the doorbell, Liu Tienan feigned calmness and said, "What’s the matter? Please wait in the reception room outside." However, the discipline inspection personnel and accompanying armed police broke in, causing Liu Tienan to collapse to the ground, trembling and incoherently begging for mercy. 

Ma Chaoqun, who was the General Manager of the Beidaihe Water Supply Corporation, was a 'fly' who embezzled over 100 million yuan. When investigators arrived at his home, his reaction left everyone present 'dumbfounded.' At that moment, after the special investigation team presented legal documents, Ma Chaoqun snatched them and tore them up, until he was subdued by special police using a gun butt. 

A scene aired in the educational television review of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection showed Jia Xiaogang, the former Deputy Secretary of the Party Group and Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Qinghai Provincial Procuratorate, looking up at the sky just before being taken away in a car in April 2021. 

Yao Mugeng, the former Vice Governor of Jiangxi Province, was arrested while attending a meeting in Shandong, and when he was taken away, 'his legs went weak.' 

Wan Qingliang, the former member of the Standing Committee of Guangdong Province and former Secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee, was taken away during a meeting, 'walking unsteadily and being supported by two people all the way.'

In 2012, when Li Chuncheng, the former deputy secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee, was taken away, he reportedly 'asked to go to the bathroom and tried to dig out a mobile phone card to throw away.'

…………

The fear exhibited by fallen corrupt officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) starkly reflects the brutality of the CPC.

The diverse reactions of CPC officials when they are ousted are indeed astonishing. The party's media once published an article stating that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) employs five major tactics in its anti-corruption efforts, one of which is 'sudden strikes.' This approach is said to have a strong deterrent effect on officials, leaving them no time to breathe. This explains why many officials show no clear signs of impending downfall; they are often taken away suddenly during meetings or public appearances. Their initial reactions are typically shock, fear, and other genuine emotions.

Additionally, some officials choose to commit suicide before their arrest or during their period of residential surveillance. Many of these individuals are military personnel, and there are also those who have attempted suicide. For example, Zhang Shutian, who previously served as the deputy director of the General Political Department of the CPC military and was the leader of the 'Henan Gang,' was reported to have attempted suicide with a gun when his entire family was arrested; while Zhang survived, his wife was killed on the spot.

Why do officials of all levels in the CPC display such disgraceful behaviour when captured, leaving observers stunned? It is because these corrupt officials are acutely aware of their own crimes and the CPC's ruthless methods. From the moment they are apprehended, they realise that not only do they have no future, but they and their relatives may also face financial ruin and reputational damage. During their detention, they may endure various tortures and sufferings that make life feel worse than death.

The world of officialdom is not a theatrical stage, and corrupt officials are not mere actors; they are products of the CCP system. The CCP enables them to plunder the people's wealth, and when the time is right, they are harvested like leeks, all while deceiving the public into applauding the so-called anti-corruption campaigns. In truth, all this money originates from the people and ultimately ends up in the hands of other corrupt officials within the CCP, which in turn benefits the party in various ways.

The fleeting performances of corrupt officials just before their downfall reveal the brutality and terror inherent in the CCP system, a reality that party officials are acutely aware of. Once, they revelled in their positions, indulging in extravagant lifestyles daily. Now and in the future, they face humiliation, living lives that are worse than those of pigs and dogs; their disgrace is a manifestation of their profound fear of the stark contrast between their past and present circumstances.

(First published in People News)
△