On October 16, the Supreme People’s Court of China provided insights into a significant ruling by the Taiyuan Intermediate People’s Court in Shanxi Province regarding Wang Xuefeng, the former deputy head and member of the leading Party group of the Hebei Provincial People’s Congress. The court found Wang guilty of bribery and bribery by utilizing his influence. He received a 15-year prison sentence for bribery, along with a fine of 8 million RMB, and an additional 5-year sentence for utilizing his influence in bribery, accompanied by a 400,000 RMB fine. These sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a total of 18 years in prison and a combined fine of 8.4 million RMB. The court also ruled for the confiscation of assets related to the crimes.
Wang Xuefeng, born in 1954 in Yongnian, Hebei, was officially investigated in January 2023 and was expelled from the Party in July of the same year. He was accused of manipulating votes, engaging in widespread bribery for official positions, falsifying records for the benefit of family members, and colluding in power-for-money transactions.
The court’s investigation revealed that from 1999 to 2022, during his various roles—including as a member of the Hebei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and as deputy chair of the Hebei Provincial People’s Congress—Wang leveraged his positions to provide assistance in personnel selections, business operations, and job placements. He illegally accepted bribes totaling approximately 84.07 million RMB.
Additionally, between 2018 and 2022, while serving as the deputy chair of the Hebei Provincial People’s Congress, he utilized his position to secure improper benefits for specific entities and individuals in matters such as case handling and project contracts, receiving over 4.11 million RMB in illegal funds.
The court concluded that Wang’s actions constituted both bribery and bribery by utilizing influence, with the sums involved deemed particularly large and warranting legal punishment. However, due to his voluntary confession, his cooperation in divulging previously undisclosed facts about his crimes, and his assistance in uncovering other significant cases, he was granted leniency. The court thus issued its ruling.
