Several leaders of China’s state-owned oil giant PetroChina fell into a political swindlers’ trap at a dinner banquet and an anti-corruption documentary will disclose this story.
Who is Zhou Xianming? The secrets behind the relationship between multiple leaders in the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and a political swindler will be revealed. The second episode of the TV documentary “Fighting Corruption for the People”, titled “Examining and Combating Corruption and Slacking,” will be broadcast on January 6th at 8 pm. The latest preview trailer mentions that some of the banned dining events are actually not about the food, but about the scheme behind it. Several CNPC leaders fell into a trap set up by political swindlers during these dining events.
“In the end, it’s their ideal and belief that have been shaken, which allowed Zhou Xianming to take advantage of them,” said Du Zhongjie, a staff member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Committee.
In the preview trailer, Wang Yilin, former secretary of the Party Leadership Group and chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation Limited, appears in front of the camera and says, “Now I am ruined and I deeply regret it.” He previously described himself as “a corrupt official and a prisoner of a political swindler.” Xu Wenrong, former deputy secretary of the Party Leadership Group and vice president of CNPC, mentioned that “bringing Zhou Xianming into CNPC brought great harm to the company. I only realized how wrong I was when I was punished.”
Earlier reports showed that Wang Yilin had “long-term connections with political swindlers who took advantage of him,” while Xu Wenrong was “interested in political speculation and sought to advance their career by making connections with political swindlers.”
In November 2024, the case of Wang Yilin’s alleged bribery by the National Supervisory Committee was investigated and concluded. As designated by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, it was reviewed by the Erdos City People’s Procuratorate in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The Erdos City People’s Procuratorate has filed a public prosecution against Wang Yilin in Erdos City Intermediate People’s Court. The prosecutor accused Wang Yilin of taking advantage of his position as a deputy director of Xinjiang Petroleum Administration Research Institute, deputy director of Xinjiang Petroleum Administration, secretary of CPC Party Committee of Xinjiang Oilfield Branch of CNPC, member of Party Leadership Group of CNPC, secretary of CPC Party Committee of China National Ocean Oil Corporation Limited, secretary of Party Leadership Group and chairman of CNPC Limited, to seek benefits for others and illegally accepted huge amounts of wealth from others.
On September 20th, 2024, the Shenyang Intermediate People’s Court in Liaoning Province publicly sentenced Xu Wenrong, former deputy secretary of the Party Leadership Group and vice president of CNPC, for bribery. Xu was sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined 3.5 million yuan. The court also ruled that Xu’s illegal wealth and its profits must be confiscated and handed over to the state treasury. According to the trial proceedings, from 1998 to 2023, Xu Wenrong took advantage of his positions as deputy director of the Petroleum Geophysical Exploration Bureau and general manager of the International Exploration Department, deputy secretary-general of the CPC Party Committee of CNPC Geophysical Exploration Limited Company, assistant general manager of CNPC Limited and other positions to provide assistance to relevant units and individuals in project contracting, equipment procurement, business operation and career promotion. He illegally accepted a total of more than 53 million yuan worth of property.
