Shenzhen mayor fired

• Source: Global Times
• [14:23 June 12 2009]
• Comments

Profile photo of Xu Zongheng (Photo: CNS)

By Liang Chen

The news that Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng, a figurehead of reform, has been removed from his post for “serious disciplinary offences,” promptly triggered tremendous debate and speculation in the media and on the Internet yesterday.

“Due to his serious disciplinary offences, the central authority has decided to remove Xu from his post and the case is being handled according to procedures,” Xinhua quoted an unnamed official from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as saying.

Xu, 54, had worked in Shenzhen government for 15 years. He was appointed deputy mayor in 2003 and promoted to mayor in 2005 as well as deputy secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Committee.

He is under investigation for alleged financial crimes since last Friday, Hong Kong newspaper The Standard reported. Xu and his wife, known as “Sister Miao” were detained under shuanggui, a kind of detention imposed on Party officials. Yan Xiaopei, the city’s vice mayor, and two other vice mayors, are also under investigation, said the reports.

Xu’s last public appearance was on June 3, when he conducted an interactive exchange with Web users of Sznews.com, a local news portal. During the program, the mayor expressed his gratitude to Shenzhen citizens and urged the speeding-up of the construction of a civilized city.

Xu is reportedly involved in the case of billionaire Huang Guangyu, founder of the Gome electrical appliances group, who was detained by police for manipulating share prices last November, reports said.

Huang’s alleged involvement into “financial crimes” also brought down the former chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Chen Shaoji.