Former senior Guizhou official expelled, faces prosecution

Wu Shenghua, a former senior official in Southwest China's Guizhou province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from public office for serious disciplinary and legal violations, China's top anti-graft bodies said on Wednesday.

Wu was previously a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Guizhou Provincial Committee and served as Party chief of Bijie city.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said they opened an investigation into Wu earlier and found that he failed to properly carry out major policies set by the Party's central leadership on preventing and managing local government debt risks. Investigators said he also neglected his main responsibility to enforce strict Party discipline in areas under his control.

According to the watchdogs, Wu engaged in a range of misconduct. He was found to have associated with individuals involved in political deception, taken part in superstitious activities, failed to truthfully report personal matters as required, and attempted to obstruct the investigation. He also accepted banquets that could influence his official decision-making and misused government vehicles.

Investigators said Wu abused his authority to help others gain promotions and job appointments, and to secure advantages in areas such as mineral resource approvals and construction project contracts. In return, he illegally accepted large sums of money and property.

As part of the punishment, the watchdogs said Wu will lose his qualifications as a delegate to the 20th Communist Party of China National Congress and the 13th Communist Party of China Guizhou Provincial Congress. His illegal gains will be confiscated, and his case has been transferred to prosecutors for possible criminal charges.

The decision to expel Wu from the Communist Party of China will be formally confirmed at an upcoming plenary session of the Party's central leadership, the statement said.

Wu, 59, is of Bouyei ethnicity and a native of Guizhou province. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1994 and spent most of his career working in the province. In February 2017, he became governor of Qiannan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture. In October 2020, he was appointed vice-governor of Guizhou province. In April 2022, he joined the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Guizhou Provincial Committee and later became Party chief of Bijie.

Wu came under investigation in July 2025.