Zhou Xianwang, the former mayor of Wuhan, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of corruption, the Shangqiu Intermediate People’s Court in Henan announced. Zhou, who faced criticism for the initial handling of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, was found guilty of accepting bribes exceeding 60.5 million yuan (approximately HK$70 million) over his tenures in various governmental roles between 2003 and 2025.
The court detailed that Zhou exploited his positions, which included party secretary of Huangshi, mayor of Wuhan, and vice-governor of Hubei province, to assist companies and individuals in securing contracts, facilitating business operations, and obtaining administrative approvals. In exchange, he received substantial cash and property benefits. The court referred to the amount involved as an "exceptionally large sum" and imposed a 5 million yuan fine alongside the prison term. Zhou admitted to his crimes and surrendered the illicit gains, factors that contributed to a reduced sentence.
The investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China’s top anti-corruption agency, began in July 2025. Zhou, 64, had a long career in the Communist Party ranks within Hubei province. In 2018, he was appointed deputy party secretary and subsequently mayor of Wuhan. His leadership came under intense scrutiny when the coronavirus first emerged in the city in late December 2019. Wuhan authorities initially delayed disclosing information, a move widely criticized domestically and internationally.
During the early stages of the outbreak, Zhou defended decisions that had significant public health consequences. Notably, he justified permitting over 40,000 people to attend a Chinese New Year event just weeks before the city imposed a lockdown in late January 2020. Zhou stated he could only release information after authorization and expressed willingness, alongside Ma Guoqiang, the then Wuhan party secretary, to resign once the outbreak was controlled. Ma and Jiang Chaoliang, then Hubei provincial party secretary, were removed from their posts in February 2020, but Zhou remained in office until his resignation in 2021. Afterward, he served on provincial and national committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
The anti-corruption campaign has continued to target senior officials. Jiang Chaoliang was sentenced to a suspended death sentence for bribery in August 2026 and appeared in a state documentary admitting long-term corrupt practices. Similarly, former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu received suspended death sentences earlier this year as part of the ongoing crackdown on graft within the Communist Party.