China Targets ‘Political Swindlers’ in Anti-Graft Campaign

The term “political swindler” began appearing in official corruption investigations nearly a decade ago [para. 1]. This term refers to individuals who deceive government officials by pretending to have connections with senior leaders, thereby manipulating these officials into paying them money in hopes of securing promotions or avoiding corruption investigations [para. 3][para. 4]. Over the past decade, at least 16 former officials and state-owned company executives have fallen prey to these swindlers, with four new cases surfacing in the current year alone [para. 2].

An analysis of these investigations also noted that such fraudulent activities are particularly rampant during major political reshuffles when many job positions are available [para. 4]. Since last year, following directives from the Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership to curb such fraud, provinces like Liaoning and Jiangxi have taken substantial actions, successfully punishing numerous political swindlers and their agents [para. 5].

One noteworthy case is that of Ni Huizhong, the former head of China’s delegation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, who was expelled from the CPC and public office after being probed for engaging with political swindlers [para. 6]. Another high-profile case involves Fu Zhenghua, a former justice minister, who was exploited by political swindlers for nearly half of his 47-year police career. Fu was deceived by two individuals claiming to have the power to advance his career in return for material benefits. Owing to his obsession with power, Fu fell for this ruse, and his ambition was deemed central to the swindlers' success [para. 8][para. 9]. Fu was found guilty of accepting over 117 million yuan ($16 million) in bribes and received a suspended death sentence in September 2022 [para. 9].

In another instance, Luo Ou, the then-deputy secretary-general of Guangdong province, was defrauded of over 40 million yuan by a businessman asserting ties with a CPC leader who could assist Luo’s promotion. Luo ended up with a life imprisonment sentence for bribery, while the businessman got a 13-year prison term for fraud and bribery [para. 10]. In a different case, a resident of Tianjin presented himself as a "mysterious person" with background connections and managed to deceive numerous high-ranking officials in the municipality [para. 11]. Similarly, Chu Jinfeng from Hancheng in Shaanxi province was conned by an individual who claimed to know central government officials offering promotion assistance through a facilitation fee [para. 11].

To curb such fraudulent activities, President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of cracking down on these political swindlers during a speech in January 2023. Consequently, CCDI chief Li Xi pledged to severely punish these swindlers and "political agents," individuals who act as intermediaries by trading access to official power for money or other benefits [para. 12][para. 13][para. 14].

The revised CPC internal regulations, effective from January 1, stipulate that anyone associating with political swindlers, even as victims, could face expulsion from the party [para. 14]. Regional authorities in Jiangxi, Yunnan, Liaoning, and Ningxia have launched initiatives aimed at eradicating the conditions that allow such fraud to flourish [para. 15].