Former Wuhan mayor Zhou gets 14 years for bribery — South China Morning Post

In China, former Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang was sentenced to 14 years in prison for bribery. The court also fined him 5 million yuan. According to the South China Morning Post, the verdict was delivered by the Intermediate People’s Court of Shangqiu City in Henan Province.

Bribery charges

The court found that Zhou, while holding various positions between 2003 and 2025, helped companies and individuals secure contracts, conduct business and obtain administrative permits. His posts included secretary of the Huangshi city party committee, mayor of Wuhan and vice governor of Hubei Province.

In return, according to the court, he received money and property worth more than 60.5 million yuan, or about $9 million. The court described the amount as “particularly large” and found Zhou guilty of bribery. The hearing took place on July 9.

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The punishment was reduced because Zhou admitted guilt and returned the illegally obtained funds and property. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China’s main anti-corruption body, launched an investigation into him in July last year.

Work in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic

Zhou Xianwang, 64, became deputy secretary of the Wuhan party committee in May 2018 and headed the city administration in September of the same year. He was criticized over the authorities’ actions at the initial stage of the coronavirus spread in late 2019, when Wuhan delayed publicly reporting the detection of the virus.

At the end of January 2020, Zhou told state broadcaster CCTV that, as a local official, he could disclose information only after receiving it and obtaining the appropriate authorization. He also defended the decision to allow more than 40,000 people to attend a New Year event that month. Zhou remained in office until 2021, after which he worked in provincial and nationwide bodies of China’s political advisory council.