Former Shenzhen mayor Qin Weizhong under graft probe by China’s discipline body

Former Shenzhen mayor Qin Weizhong is currently under investigation for alleged corruption by China’s central discipline inspection body. According to a statement released on Monday, Qin is suspected of committing "grave disciplinary and law violations," triggering a corruption probe. Qin served as Shenzhen's deputy party secretary and mayor from May 2021 until his resignation on August 24.

The city is set to host Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings, including a leaders' summit, in November. Despite being investigated, Qin has not been expelled from the party’s 20th Central Committee, which is expected to convene until the 21st party congress next year. Qin's last public appearance was on August 28, where he attended a Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting to support the development of a modern industrial system.

Prior to his tenure in Shenzhen, Qin held key positions in Guangdong province, including responsibility for housing, the environment, and big data management. Qin, who holds a PhD in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing, previously worked as a deputy general manager at China National Petroleum Corporation and as vice-governor of Guangdong from 2019 to 2021.

Qin's career has intersected with that of Ma Xingrui, a member of China’s Politburo and former party boss of Xinjiang. Ma was investigated in April, stripped of his party membership, and dismissed from public office in July. Ma served as Shenzhen's party chief from 2015 to 2016 before becoming governor of Guangdong, while Qin held the vice-governor position in Guangdong during that time.