CHINA

China’s Former Traditional Medicine Chief Surrenders to Graft-Busters

Published: Nov. 6, 2026 4:26 p.m. GMT+8

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Yu Yanhong

China’s former traditional medicine chief, Yu Yanhong, has turned herself in and is under investigation for suspected serious disciplinary and legal violations, the country’s top anticorruption authorities said Friday, two days after she was stripped of her seat on its national political advisory body.

Yu Yanhong, 64, formerly headed the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its Communist Party group. She also served on the National Health Commission’s party group. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission announced the investigation on Nov. 6 without detailing the suspected violations.

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Yu Yanhong, 64, former head of China’s National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, turned herself in and is under investigation for “serious disciplinary and legal violations,” announced Nov. 6.
She lost her seat on the national political advisory body this week; Yu had been a prominent TCM advocate during Covid, citing an effectiveness rate above 90%.
Her predecessor, Yu Wenming, was sentenced to 15 years on Aug. 21 for accepting over 63.44 million yuan ($9.5 million) in bribes.

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Who’s Who

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What Happened When

January 2018：: At age 55, Yu Yanhong became vice governor of Guangdong province.

June 2018：: Five months later, she moved to Beijing as a member of the National Health Commission’s party group, party-group chief and deputy director of the traditional medicine administration.

March 6, 2020：: At a briefing, she said early use of traditional Chinese medicine could quickly improve symptoms and strengthen patients’ confidence.

March 23, 2020：: At another briefing, she said clinical observations showed an overall effectiveness rate above 90%.

May 2020：: She led a government team overseeing pandemic-control work in Heilongjiang.

January 2021：: She led a government team overseeing pandemic-control work in Jilin.

January 2022：: She led a government team overseeing pandemic-control work in Henan.

August 2022：: She led a government team overseeing pandemic-control work in Sichuan.

Early 2023：: She joined the 14th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

July 2023：: She succeeded Yu Wenming as director when he retired.

April 2024：: She was appointed an adviser to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions’ eighth committee for women workers.

Feb. 27, 2026：: Yu Yanhong was removed as director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Aug. 21, 2026：: Yu Wenming, her predecessor, received a 15-year prison sentence for bribery.

Week of Nov. 2–8, 2026：: Yu Yanhong lost her membership in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Nov. 6, 2026：: The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission announced the investigation of Yu Yanhong for suspected serious disciplinary and legal violations.

From 2009 through February 2021：: Yu Wenming used his position to help others secure drug-registration approvals and extensions, accepting over 63.44 million yuan in money and property.

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