Another Top China Tobacco Regulator Probed in Widening Graft Crackdown
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Han Zhanwu, the highest-ranking deputy director at China’s powerful State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), has been placed under investigation for corruption, marking the latest downfall of a senior official in the sector’s widening graft probe.
Han is being investigated for “serious violations of discipline and law,” the country’s top anti-graft watchdog announced on its website Saturday. Han, 59, had not been seen in public for nearly a month, with his last appearance being during an inspection trip in Jiangsu province in early September, according to the STMA’s website.
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- Han Zhanwu, top deputy director at China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, is under investigation for serious violations amid a corruption crackdown.
- Han is the seventh senior STMA leader targeted; prior convictions include bribes up to 943 million yuan ($130 million).
- Han, appointed in 2020, is the 46th centrally-managed official investigated in 2025; he previously advocated anti-corruption IT systems.
- April 2020：
- Han Zhanwu was appointed deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA).
- 2022：
- Han Zhanwu gave an interview promoting the use of a new IT system for anti-corruption in the tobacco industry.
- Early 2025：
- China’s top disciplinary body designated the tobacco industry as a key area for systemic cleanup.
- Early September 2025：
- Han Zhanwu made his last public appearance during an inspection trip in Jiangsu province.
- By October 11, 2025：
- Han Zhanwu had not been seen in public for nearly a month.
- October 11, 2025：
- The anti-graft watchdog announced Han Zhanwu was under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law.
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