Huang Qifan, China’s political tumbler, falls after a decade of close corruption calls
For a decade, former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan stood out as a political survivor while colleague after close colleague fell in China’s far-reaching anti-corruption campaign. Throughout that time, including his seven years as the megacity’s mayor from 2009 to 2016, Huang was seen as a “tumbler” in Chinese politics – a weighted doll that wobbles but never falls over. The nickname was…
Former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan, known as a political survivor during China's anti-corruption campaign, has fallen after a decade of close corruption calls. The 74-year-old Huang, who served as mayor from 2009 to 2016, was seen as a "tumbler" in Chinese politics, wobbling but never falling despite multiple falls of his colleagues.
His nickname was well-deserved as he served under six municipal Communist Party secretaries, witnessing the jailing of two of them, Bo Xilai and Sun Zhengcai, for corruption. Despite his high-profile status, Huang continued to be visible after leaving public service in 2018, participating in numerous interviews and conferences. The recent corruption investigation against him came as a surprise, given his reputation for survival and his active involvement in public discourse.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
