[Epoch Times November 04, 2021]On the eve of the “Sixth Central Committee” plenary session, former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli broke out in an extramarital affairs scandal. Subsequently, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection suddenly announced eight cases of violations in Tianjin, some of which involved real estate development during Zhang Gaoli’s tenure as secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee. It is reported that when the timing is sensitive, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s move led people to think that Zhang Gaoli has been targeted by the CCP’s senior officials as the next target for cleaning.
On the evening of November 2, Peng Shuai, a 35-year-old Chinese female tennis player, posted a long post on his real-name verified Sina Weibo account and blew himself up about his relationship with Zhang Gaoli, the 75-year-old former deputy prime minister of the Chinese Communist Party. The news was quickly blocked by the CCP’s entire network, and netizens were prohibited from commenting. However, the news immediately detonated public opinion at home and abroad.
On November 3, foreign media asked questions about Peng Shuai at a press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin was instantly embarrassed and said that he had “never heard of it.”
On November 3, the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China issued a notice on “Tianjin Announces 8 Typical Spiritual Issues in Violation of the Eight Central Regulations”, mentioning that Yao Guoqiang, the former party secretary and chairman of Tianjin Urban Construction Group, had accepted an improper banquet, and “there are still other serious violations of discipline.” Illegal issues”. In October this year, Yao Guoqiang was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months in prison for taking bribes.
Taiwan’s “Shang Bao” reported on November 3 that although it is still uncertain whether the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will direct the investigation at Zhang Gaoli, because Tianjin has long been an important stronghold of the Jiang faction’s “Tianjin Gang” forces, the Tianjin disciplinary case was notified at this time. The extramarital affairs scandal has therefore cast doubt on the factional struggle of the Chinese Communist Party.
The report stated that Zhang Gaoli’s career has been promoted all the way by former CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has raised the case at this time. Is there any intention to engage in real estate investment with Zhang Gaoli when he was secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee? The intention is doubtful. In addition, the timing and the content of the case triggered the association that Zhang Gaoli had been locked by the CCP’s senior officials as the next target for purge.
Tianjin Urban Investment Group is the largest state-owned enterprise in Tianjin, specializing in the financing, investment and construction of major urban infrastructure. It has 11 wholly-owned subsidiaries, 1 listed company, 2 holding companies, and 3 share-holding companies.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, many officials of the Tianjin Urban Construction System have been investigated. Among them are Liu Cuiqiao, former deputy director of the Tianjin Urban Construction Committee, Yin Hailin, the then deputy mayor of Tianjin, known as the “Jinmen Land Lord”, Ma Baiyu, chairman of Tianjin Urban Investment Group, Duan Baosen, general manager, and former party committee member of Tianjin Urban Investment Group. Deputy General Manager Gu Qifeng and others were investigated successively.
Ma Baiyu has been immersed in Tianjin’s urban construction system for nearly 30 years and is accused of being a “strong woman” in Tianjin’s political arena. According to investigations, Ma Baiyu illegally used 364 million yuan of state-owned funds to invest in stocks, causing economic losses of more than 315 million yuan to the country. On April 5, 2017, Ma Baiyu was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Ma Baiyu was also the “woman in charge of urban construction” during the period when Zhang Gaoli, a former member of the Jiang faction’s Standing Committee, was in charge of Tianjin. Zhang Gaoli was in charge of Tianjin from March 2007 to November 2012 and was engaged in real estate investment. Since then, Tianjin’s real estate investment has entered a period of crazy growth, which has become the source of serious corruption in the urban construction field.
Huang Xingguo, the Mayor and Acting Secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee, who was sacked in September 2016, was also accused of corruption in urban construction. Huang Xingguo has a close relationship with Zhang Gaoli. During Zhang Gaoli’s tenure as secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee, Huang Xingguo served as the mayor. They have worked with each other for 5 years, and they have “praised” each other both inside and outside the officialdom.
It was previously reported that Zhang Gaoli was involved in a large private equity fraud case involving 100 billion yuan in Tianjin.
Editor in charge: Xu Menger#
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