China’s top anti-corruption agency announced on Monday that former justice minister Tang Yijun will face indictment on corruption and misconduct charges following an investigation into bribery and abuse of power.
According to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), Tang is accused of using his position to help family members secure lucrative business deals and accepting extravagant gifts and travel perks, violating the Communist Party’s code of conduct. He allegedly manipulated personnel appointments for personal gain, facilitated contracts for relatives, and interfered in market activities and judicial matters.
The CCDI statement highlighted that Tang “exhibited poor family ethics, ignored his spouse’s misconduct, and treated public office as a tool for personal enrichment.” Tang has been expelled from the Party, removed from public office, and stripped of his role as a representative at the 20th National Congress. His illegal earnings and any benefits gained from misconduct will be confiscated.
The investigation found Tang exploited his influence to facilitate business operations, company listings, and regulatory approvals for others in exchange for bribes. The CCDI added that he “lost his ideals, strayed from his original mission, and resisted internal oversight.”
Tang’s political career spanned nearly four decades, largely in Zhejiang province, where President Xi Jinping previously served as party secretary. After working in a low-profile advisory role for five years, Tang became mayor of Ningbo in 2016 and was promoted to party secretary of the city shortly after. He rose to deputy party secretary of Zhejiang in 2017 and was made an alternate member of the Central Committee.
Later, Tang was transferred to Liaoning province, where he served as deputy party chief and governor before being appointed justice minister in April 2020. However, his political trajectory stalled when he failed to secure a spot on the Central Committee during the 20th National Congress in October 2022—an unusual setback for a key minister.
Tang’s final role was chairman of the Jiangxi provincial advisory body, a post he held from January 2023 until the corruption probe began in April 2024.
His case mirrors those of previous justice ministers, including Fu Zhenghua and Wu Aiying, who were also brought down by corruption. Fu, a former top police chief, was linked to a political faction under ex-public security vice-minister Sun Lijun and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 for accepting 117 million yuan (US$16 million) in bribes. Wu, who served as justice minister from 2005 to 2017, was expelled from the Party soon after her departure when it was discovered she had promoted a senior official with fake credentials.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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