Former Provincial Leader Sentenced to Death With Reprieve for Massive Graft

A former high-ranking Chinese official, Su, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve after being found guilty of amassing nearly 200 million yuan ($27.6 million) in bribes over a 30-year career. This severe sentence is part of President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted both active and retired provincial leaders. Su, once vice governor of Fujian and the party chief of the province’s law enforcement, was convicted of accepting 165 million yuan in bribes while in office, and a further 33.56 million yuan through influence peddling after retirement. These bribes often included the manipulation of land sales in Fuzhou at below-market prices, resulting in significant state losses.[para. 1][para. 2]

On December 5, 2023, the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court handed down Su’s sentence. He was found guilty of bribery, influence peddling, and abuse of power, with crimes spanning from 1996 to 2023. During his tenure in various positions, Su exploited his roles for personal gain, accepting bribes directly and continuing such activities even after his official retirement. The court stated that, assuming Su does not commit further crimes, the suspended death sentence typically converts to life imprisonment without parole after two years.[para. 3][para. 4]

Once a public advocate for financial integrity, Su was known for stating that even a small misstep with money could ruin a career. This is in stark contrast to the court’s revelation that his illegal activities persisted for years post-retirement. Despite his prior statements about money’s relative unimportance, Su’s illicit wealth accumulation reportedly continued for five years after stepping down from office.[para. 5]

Su’s background is rooted in the tumultuous late years of the Cultural Revolution. As a “Worker-Peasant-Soldier student,” he attended Fudan University under Mao-era admissions policies before quickly transitioning into technocratic roles following China’s reform period. Starting at the Fujian Price Commission and then gaining renown for his economic ideas in top academic journals, Su advocated for unified price controls and differentiated coastal-inland policies.[para. 6][para. 7][para. 8]

His expertise propelled him to influential posts, such as overseeing land approvals in the Xiamen special economic zone, where he managed major investments and rental decisions. It was only after his 1995 return to Fuzhou as head of the provincial Commission for Restructuring the Economic System that his corruption reportedly began, coinciding with increasing power over state-owned enterprise reforms and capital.[para. 9][para. 10]

As mayor of Fuzhou, Su promoted grand urban projects, such as a massive Central Business District and a landmark skyscraper, often partnering with real estate developers. Some projects, like the proposed skyscraper, were never completed and resulted in public criticism for decisions such as the controversial demolition of a new primary school.[para. 11][para. 12]

Investigations into Su’s activities have exposed connections between high-ranking officials and real estate tycoons, implicating business leaders such as Ou Zongrong of Zhenro Properties and Huang Qisen of Thaihot Group, both detained or investigated for their roles.[para. 13][para. 14]

Su’s fall follows a pattern seen among Fujian’s leadership, as colleagues including former governor Su Shulin and vice governor Zhang Zhinan have also been convicted and imprisoned for corruption.[para. 15]

Even after stepping down in 2018, Su leveraged his lingering political influence to facilitate further corruption, accepting bribes for zoning changes and project contracts until as late as 2023. His confession, surrender, and the return of embezzled funds by his family were mitigating factors leading to the sentence’s reprieve.[para. 16][para. 17][para. 18]