FINANCE

China Spotlights ‘Revolving-Door’ Bribery Case in Financial Anti-Graft Campaign

Published: Dec. 2, 2025 6:07 p.m. GMT+8

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Huang Xi

A former senior executive at China Construction Bank (CCB) has been handed a 14-year prison term in a bribery case that lays bare Beijing’s widening crackdown on “revolving-door” corruption between state lenders and private developers.

Huang Xi, 61, spent more than three decades at the state-run bank, where she eventually held senior roles in investment banking, asset management and institutional banking. She left around 2018 to join developer Tahoe Group Co. Ltd.

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Former CCB executive Huang Xi received a 14-year prison sentence for bribery linked to “revolving-door” corruption.
Huang accepted over 45 million yuan from Tahoe Group and others after facilitating business favors, returning all illicit gains.
Chinese courts highlighted the case as an example of hidden corruption between state banks and private developers.

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Who’s Who

China Construction Bank: China Construction Bank (CCB) is a state-run bank that experienced a "revolving-door" corruption case involving its former senior executive, Huang Xi. She used her position at CCB to benefit a company controlled by Tahoe Group's founder, receiving bribes for her actions. This case highlights Beijing's efforts to combat corruption within state lenders and private developers.

Tahoe Group Co. Ltd.: Tahoe Group Co. Ltd. (泰禾集团) is a private developer that employed Huang Xi, a former senior executive at China Construction Bank (CCB). After leaving CCB around 2018, Huang Xi joined Tahoe, where she was promised a substantial annual salary and bonus. She also received a significant "settling-in allowance" from a company controlled by Tahoe's founder, Huang Qisen, prior to her official employment. This arrangement was part of a bribery scheme.

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What Happened When

Between 2016 and 2018：: Huang Xi used her position at China Construction Bank to help a company controlled by Tahoe founder Huang Qisen be placed on one of CCB’s approved client lists.

March 2018：: Huang Xi received 30 million yuan before resigning from China Construction Bank.

August 2018：: Huang Xi joined Tahoe Group Co. Ltd. and signed a contract for annual salary and bonus.

By March 2022：: Huang Xi had received over 42 million yuan in settling-in payments and compensation from Tahoe, with another 10 million yuan pledged but unpaid.

2025：: A local court ruled that Huang Xi committed bribery, granting leniency; a higher court upheld the verdict on appeal; and China’s top judicial bodies commented on the case.

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