The Chinese Communist Party's anti-corruption documentary "Relentless Steps, Not Retreating Half a Step" has premiered, revealing further details about the case in which ten officials in Henan violated regulations by banquet drinking, resulting in one person’s death, including the subsequent cover-up, attempts at private compensation with large borrowed sums, and efforts to keep the matter quiet.
The anti-corruption documentary, jointly produced by the Propaganda Department of the CCP Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission and CCTV, aired on CCTV’s General Channel at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday (January 11). The first episode, "Correcting Malpractices and Governing for the People," presents the incident in which Henan officials’ rule-violating drinking led to a fatality and subsequent accountability as a typical case exemplifying the CCP’s intensified anti-corruption efforts.
According to reports from CCTV News, The Paper, and others, in March last year, Li Xianlin, then Standing Committee Member of the Luoshan County Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Xinyang, Henan, convened a meeting to implement the central government's Eight-Point Regulations. The very next day, he attended a banquet with higher-level leaders.
Of the ten attendees, five drank alcohol, consuming a total of four bottles of baijiu. Two hours after the meal, Li Xianlin learned that Xia Yu, the deputy secretary of the county Political and Legal Affairs Committee who had attended, had died from drinking.
Of the ten attendees, five drank alcohol, consuming a total of four bottles of baijiu. Two hours after the meal, Li Xianlin learned that Xia Yu, the deputy secretary of the county Political and Legal Affairs Committee who had attended, had died from drinking.
The program revealed that Li Xianlin did not immediately report the situation to the organization but instead tried to conceal the truth, summoning the other cadres involved to discuss countermeasures. They finally agreed that Li Xianlin would provide 900,000 yuan (RMB, approximately 594,000 MYR) and the other four would raise a total of 1.9 million yuan together.
According to the investigation, the 900,000 yuan compensation provided by Li Xianlin was entirely "borrowed" from a local businessman. The two had no personal relationship and had only interacted through work. The program pointed out that as a public official, Li Xianlin asking a managed service target for a large loan constituted "one mistake after another."
According to the program, after privately compensating the family, Li Xianlin only mentioned in his written report to the county party committee that Xia Yu had "died suddenly from illness," omitting the dinner and drinking details. Yu Guofang, then county party secretary, knew the report was untrue but did not report it to the higher-level party organization.
According to the investigation, the 900,000 yuan compensation provided by Li Xianlin was entirely "borrowed" from a local businessman. The two had no personal relationship and had only interacted through work. The program pointed out that as a public official, Li Xianlin asking a managed service target for a large loan constituted "one mistake after another."
According to the program, after privately compensating the family, Li Xianlin only mentioned in his written report to the county party committee that Xia Yu had "died suddenly from illness," omitting the dinner and drinking details. Yu Guofang, then county party secretary, knew the report was untrue but did not report it to the higher-level party organization.
After receiving relevant reports, the Xinyang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision reported the case up the chain; the Henan Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision elevated the handling of the case. The investigation also found that of the 7,170 yuan bill for the meal, over 4,000 yuan spent on alcohol was charged to the unit's account with the vendor. After the incident, Li Xianlin, fearing investigation, eventually settled the bill himself.
The program made clear that the attendees were not merely after a few mouthfuls of luxury food and drink; the "real intention was not the wine." Although there seemed no specific demands, the real motivation was the pursuit of networking and building connections, with future utilitarian aims.
In May last year, Chinese authorities announced that Li Xianlin had been expelled from the Communist Party and removed from his post, and had been placed under investigation and taken into custody. The eight others received punishments including probation within the Party, removal from office, demotion, transfer out of the political and legal system, and severe warnings.
Yu Guofang, the Luoshan County Party Secretary who failed to report the truth, received a severe Party warning. In total, nine people were disciplined in the case, with six being held accountable.