
China hands Tibet official suspended death sentence over $50m in bribes
Wu Yingjie, who served as party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2021, illegally accepted bribes totalling more than 343 million yuan ($47.8 million), an intermediate court in Beijing said in a statement on WeChat.
The court said his crimes were 'particularly serious, the social impact particularly vile' and caused 'particularly heavy losses' for the country and people.
President Xi Jinping has overseen a wide-ranging campaign against official corruption since coming to power more than a decade ago, with critics saying it also serves as a way to purge political rivals.
The court said Wu used his official positions in the region stretching back to 2006 to give companies and individuals help on contracts and business operations.
Wu was given a two-year reprieve after he pleaded guilty and confessed details of his actions that were previously unknown to authorities, the court said.

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Business Recorder
16-07-2025
- Business Recorder
China hands Tibet official suspended death sentence over $50m in bribes
BEIJING: The former Communist Party head of Tibet was handed a suspended death sentence on Wednesday for taking bribes worth almost $50 million, a court in China said. Wu Yingjie, who served as party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2021, illegally accepted bribes totalling more than 343 million yuan ($47.8 million), an intermediate court in Beijing said in a statement on WeChat. The court said his crimes were 'particularly serious, the social impact particularly vile' and caused 'particularly heavy losses' for the country and people. President Xi Jinping has overseen a wide-ranging campaign against official corruption since coming to power more than a decade ago, with critics saying it also serves as a way to purge political rivals. The court said Wu used his official positions in the region stretching back to 2006 to give companies and individuals help on contracts and business operations. Wu was given a two-year reprieve after he pleaded guilty and confessed details of his actions that were previously unknown to authorities, the court said.


Express Tribune
26-06-2025
- Express Tribune
China moves on fentanyl crackdown as tensions with US over tariffs persist
China has taken a series of actions in the past week on counter-narcotics, in a sign of cooperation with US demands for stronger action on the synthetic opioid fentanyl, a key irritant in the bilateral relationship. US President Donald Trump imposed 20% tariffs on Chinese imports in February over Beijing's alleged failure to curb the flow of precursor chemicals for fentanyl, which has caused nearly 450,000 US overdose deaths. Those tariffs have remained in effect despite a fragile trade truce reached in Geneva in May. Beijing has defended its drug control record and accused Washington of using fentanyl to "blackmail" China. Both sides were in a stalemate over the issue for months, despite China sending its vice public security minister to the Geneva talks. China has balked at some of Washington's demands which include publicising the crackdown on precursors on the front page of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, educating Party members and tightening regulation of specific chemicals, among other actions. On Thursday, China's State Security Ministry accused a "certain country" of "deliberately launching unwarranted attacks on China over the fentanyl issue", in a veiled swipe at the US. But last Friday, Beijing added two precursors to a list of controlled chemicals starting July 20, according to a government statement. The chemicals, 4-piperidone and 1-boc-4-piperidone, were "considered fundamental to resolving the fentanyl issue," raising hopes that the 20% tariffs could be eventually lifted, according to a source familiar with US government thinking. The move came after US Ambassador David Perdue had a rare meeting with China's Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong last Thursday in Beijing, at which Wang expressed willingness to work with Washington on drug control, according to a Chinese statement. China's Foreign Ministry said the action on precursors was an "independent measure" taken by Beijing in line with the UN Drug Convention and "demonstrates China's attitude of actively participating in global drug governance." Working-level conversations on fentanyl remain ongoing and Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the topic in a June 5 phone call. Chinese immigration officials seized 2.42 tons of drugs and arrested 262 suspects for drug smuggling so far this year, state media reported Thursday, as Beijing vowed to crack down on drug trafficking and "intensify anti-drug propaganda" in border areas and ports. In addition, Chinese officials announced on Wednesday they had prosecuted more than 1,300 people and arrested over 700 more nationwide for drug-related money laundering offences between January and May this year, a 2.1% year-on-year increase. Beijing will "cut off the criminal interest chain and destroy the economic foundation of drug crimes," Miao Shengming, a senior official at the Supreme People's Procuratorate said during a press conference. On Monday, a court in the southeastern province of Fujian handed a suspended death sentence to former drug control official Liu Yuejin for bribery, state media reported. Liu, a former director of the Ministry of Public Security's narcotics control bureau, was convicted of illegally receiving bribes worth over 121 million yuan ($17 million) between 1992 and 2020. The US Embassy in Beijing did not respond to a request for comment. The Chinese government statements did not mention the US. Chinese scholars acknowledge that fentanyl's central position in the US.-China trade war comes with a lot of political baggage for Beijing. "The US views the fentanyl issue as a sign of poor governance on China's part and has exerted pressure on China as a result, politicising the issue of drug control," said Liu Weidong, a US-China expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "This context is certain to influence China's approach to addressing the fentanyl issue."


Express Tribune
17-06-2025
- Express Tribune
China accuses Trump of 'pouring oil' on Iran, Israel conflict
Listen to article China on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of "pouring oil" on the mounting conflict between Iran and Israel, after the US leader warned Tehran residents to "immediately evacuate". Following decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign last week against targets across Iran, saying it aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring atomic weapons -- an ambition Tehran denies. The sudden flare-up in hostilities has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with Trump urging Iran back to the negotiating table after Israel's attacks derailed ongoing nuclear talks. Trump also issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Read More: Israel-Iran conflict enters fifth day with ongoing missile strikes Asked about Trump's remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: "Fanning the flames, pouring oil, making threats and mounting pressure will not help to promote the de-escalation of the situation, but will only intensify and widen the conflict. "The Chinese side calls on all relevant parties, especially countries with special influence on Israel, to shoulder their responsibilities, take immediate measures to de-escalate tensions, and prevent the conflict from expanding and spreading." China's embassies in Iran and Israel also urged Chinese citizens to leave the countries "as soon as possible", after Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes. "The Chinese Embassy in Iran has coordinated with the Iranian side to facilitate outbound travel and reminds Chinese citizens currently in Iran to leave the country... as soon as possible", the embassy in Tehran said in an online statement. It suggested border crossings with Turkey, Armenia, and Turkmenistan as possible routes out. China's embassy in Israel urged citizens to depart "in the direction of Jordan" as it warned that the conflict was "continuing to escalate". "Much civilian infrastructure has been damaged, civilian casualties are on the rise, and the security situation is becoming more serious," it said in a post on WeChat.